Hiding from the Rain
by Anqeole
Summary: Bella is a normal teenager, everybody thinks. But is she? Or is she something else? She moves to Forks to get away, but will it really help her, or are life going to be more difficult now than ever? And what secret do the Cullen's posses? Read to find out
1. Chapter 1

**Authors note! IMPORTANT!:**

_This is a rewrite of the original chapter because it was horrible and I figured I should rewrite the first few chapters which are the worst, so each time I post up a new Chapter I will post a rewrite of an old one. So with that said, if you happen to be reading this for the first time (or the second) – happy reading ^^_

_Love_

_Anqeole_

**Chapter 1: Panicking**

I needed to flee from Phoenix and I had to flee now. Not later, not next week, _now_.

Turning right I kept jogging at an aggressive speed, sweeping bullets and breathing like an enraged bull.

Turning left I started on my street. My legs felt like jelly and I just wanted to sit down and have a breather. The sun was just setting and I could still see the orange and red streaks from the sunset just over the rooftops on the small houses in Phoenix Arizona. But even though the sun was gone the heat kept being a persistent thorn in my side as I tried to breath.

I still didn't really understand what had happened. I had been _caught_? Had I been caught? How could that possibly have happened? _Had_ it happened?

Maybe I was overreacting. Maybe this was just my paranoid side kicking in at last.

But what if I wasn't? What if I on Monday came to school and a police escort was waiting for me at the entrance with a stun gun. The sending me over to the federal government and the next I would be another animal for exhibition for the scientist in sector 7.

Wouldn't that be just peachy?

Turning off onto the driveway of my house I made a peel for the driveway and collapsed on the porch next to the front door under the living room window, behind the railing.

Leaning my head back I breathed in and out as calmly as I could. I could hear my mom and Phil laughing in front of the TV right behind my head. I wanted to go in, into my safe water-free house, which I knew in and out and could maneuver through blindfolded.

Arizona was in reality the safest place on earth for me, and you know Sahara, but Sahara wasn't really livable, not really. Egypt wasn't really appealing to me either. No, in America, this was the safest place. But even thought this was true, I had no choice, I really has no choice if I wanted to be on the safe side.

Even the thought of it seemed unbelievable.

"I'm going to Forks." I mumbled to myself. I'm going to Forks in Washington to live with Charlie, my long-time-no-see father. The town where it rained almost every day of the year.

How was I going to do that? Constant rain; and rain was water for God's sake. The one substance on earth I tried to stay away from like it carried with it the plague.

No, I needed to find a solution to that problem, because I didn't really have a choice, now did I?

Or, I did, but I wasn't willing or though enough to take that risk, to leave it to chance like that.

But first, before anything else I needed to talk to my mom. She wasn't going to like it, and she was going to protest and so no, but after a while she would cave, she usually did. Especially if I knew she secretly wanted me to. Don't get me wrong, she is a wonderful mother and she would never ask me to leave, not even in moments of anger.

My mom loves Phil, more then she loved my dad as far as I can understand, and she really wanted to travel with him, the only thing actually holding her back was me. If I left she could travel with Phil, who would say no to that?

Especially since I want to leave at my own volition as far as she is concerned.

Breathing in the night air I tried to calm my frail nerves, looking out on the familiar streets with the neighbors we never really bothered to get to know after we moved here.

I could hear the sounds of cars, people and nature and as I sat there I wondered what would happen in the future. But the moment I started on that thought different scenarios - turning worse and worse and more and more horrifyingly realistic – I shook my head and jumped to my feet.

Breathing in and out I walked forward, plastered on a mask of calmness and took a hold of the door knob and entered. "Hi mom, Phil." I said as they both turned their heads towards me. Phil gave me smile before turning back to the TV, my mom stood and headed towards me, giving me a worried searching stare. Giving her a little come-along wave I walked into the kitchen and leaned myself up against a counter.

Renee look at me confused and worried as she stopped a few paces in front of me. "What is it sweetie? Is everything ok? Did something happen?" I could see her eyes franticly searching my person for anything amiss, a scratch or some sign of a fight.

"I'm fine, it's not that." I paused, wondering how to make this sound logical. "I just had some time to think on my run, or, some more time to think about something I have been considering for a little while now."

She didn't say anything but nodded towards me, still looking a bit worried.

Taking a deep breath I decided to just get it over with. "IwanttogoliveinForks." I rushed out in one breath. I didn't think she caught it there for a few seconds, but her expression morphed into shock so she must have at least caught the essence of it. "What?" She asked in a small voice. "I… I want to go live in Forks." I muttered more slowly, glancing away from her and down at my hands.

"Hold on a second, you want to go live your father, in Forks?" Looking up from my hands I took in her disbelieving expression. I had never made an effort to hide my distaste for the small town so this was probably beyond unexpected.

But as fast as the disbelief had come it disappeared and was replaced by suspicion.

This was going to be a long night.

.

Trailing my suitcase behind me we walked towards my gate in silence where I would get on a plane to Seattle, there I would switch and take a smaller plane down to Pot Angeles where my father would pick me up and we would drive the 1 hour drive to Forks. I had to suppress a sigh so my mom wouldn't catch up on my rather depressing mood.

Stopping in front of the assigned gate I turned to my mother. I had already said my goodbyes to Phil, he was waiting in the car so that they didn't have to park it – air port parking lots was as expensive as hell and it was no need for that, I was old enough to get on a plane on my own.

"Bella, you really don't have to do this." I had lost count over how many times my mother had said that since I had started the process of moving to Forks. "I know, but I want to do this. And it will be good for me, get to know more people, spend some time with Charlie, it will be great." I smiled at her. Before all this had started happening to me I had been an awful liar, but you know what they say, practice makes perfect, and I was not perfect yet but there were no denying I was getting better.

She had tried doziness of times to change my mind but it was no use and she had finally gotten around to understanding that. It was for the best, if she saw me crack it would only make things worse for both of us. Taking a hold of my shoulders she looked at me. "My baby girl," She said giving me one of those rare tender motherly smiles. "Mom, I'm not going into the army, I'm moving to Forks, you can come visit and send mails any time."

Smiling at me as thought I was 7 and I didn't know better she pulled me into a hug.

"I'm going to miss you hon."

"I'm going to miss you too." I said back, "But now you and Phil have the house for yourselves and I do not want to know what you plan on doing with that." laughing she pulled away, "Don't get yourself in trouble." She muttered, rubbing my shoulders, I had to force the smile to stay there. For all I knew I may already have done just that.

"I'll try my best."

Seating myself in the assigned seat I fastened the seatbelt. The air plane pulled out from

the airport and started down the runway.

It hurt, my stomach twisting itself up in knots as I saw the familiar landscape of Phoenix passing in a higher and higher speed and I could not stop my body from stiffening up. My inner voice were ranting on and on about all the things that could go wrong and how stupid I was to even think of doing this and what kind of idiot decided to go through with this plan to begin with.

I was after all moving to probably the rainiest town in the US and with my condition this was the same as putting myself in a situation where I would slowly descend into madness.

I had planned everything out. I had put precautions in place and if I hadn't been able to come up with something that was 90 % secure I would not have left. Still, I couldn't not calm down the nervousness which where tightening my stomach into knots.

The plane took off with roar and as I flew into the sky the only thing I wanted as Phoenix Arizona disappeared underneath me was a parachute and an open door.

.

_So what do you think? Is it better?_ _Worse? _


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note:**

So, here is my second chapter, hope you enjoy it. I know the first on got a little short, but I am going to try to make this one longer.

Thank you for your reviews, I am going to remember what you said. ^^

**Love Anqeole**

* * *

**Chapter 2: It's everywhere! **

The plane was about 30 minutes from Port Angeles airport. I was sipping with the sipper on my little carry bag. I was nervous.

What if it didn't work? What if I turned in the middle of the parking lot? What if I ended up as a science project?

All of these things scared me to death. But I didn't have any other choice but to go through with my plan. Right before leaving Phoenix I had taken in the account that it actually are raining most parts of the year and came up with a plan to prevent myself from getting water on my skin ore getting wet.

The solution was plastic. I have ordered a special waterproof outfit. It is just like normal rain clothing only, I got it sued so it fits after my body and the material breaths.

In that way I can have it under my cloths and never get wet. I also have a rain jacket which I am going to have outside; just because I can't get wet do not mean I want to get my cloths soaked. And I had an umbrella, glows, made of waterproof material, and last but not least. Waterproof shoes.

This was not very cheep and I had to take some of my college found so my mom wouldn't find out, then there would be questions, something I couldn't handle right now.

I had all the things in my bag, so I went to the bathroom to change.

But just to inform you, a bathroom on a plane isn't very big, so it ended up with my trying my hardest to drag on a tight outfit while half way holding on to the wall for support and half standing, using the arm who wasn't trying to find something to clutch on the wall to drag up the outfit.

It was really wearing me out. And it didn't help when the plane was hit by turbulence.

When I finally got my pants dragged back on and got my sweater in place, the right way and not with the wrong side out, I looked at myself in the little mirror. I was going to get a bruise on my head, leg and right arm but that was not so bad.

It was actually unbelievable that I for ones managed to get away with this without any life threatening damages on myself or the plane I was flying in.

I switched shoes and dragged the gloves, the umbrella and the rain coat out of the pack and stuffed the stuff I didn't need down in the bag again. And finally I got out of the toilet.

I almost fell out the door, with the bag coming after me. When I looked around after retrieving my balance and steadying myself on the wall, there were two flight attendants staring at me like I was crazy, they both had amused expressions on their faces.

I blushed in a dark shade of red.

"Are you fine Miss? Anything you need help with?" she asked. I blushed even redder.

"No, I'm fine thank you." I said before I hurried away from the two curios attendants with my head low hiding my face with my long brown hair. Finally I reached my seat and plumped down in it like a sack of potatoes.

A man's voice suddenly came over the speakers and said, "Can you all pleas fasten your seat-belts, we are going in for landing in two minutes. Thank you; hope you had a nice ride with SAS airlines."

I fast fastened the belt and crossed my fingers and hoped that this would work as smooth as I had planed it.

* * *

I was walking into the airport with the suitcase whiling behind me on the two small wheels. Where is he?

Then finally I spotted him. He was standing a little by the side, beside one of those big pillars. Ha waved and I set my course over to where he was standing. When I got there I let go of the suitcase and he gave me a hug. "Hi Bells. How was your flight?"

He let go of me. And I smiled even though I was so nervous, I could probably scream so loud it would be heard on the moon.

"Hi Cha-dad, yeah, the flight was just fine, long, but fine." I wasn't allowed to call him Charlie to his face; that would only hurt him, and then he would start insisting that I called him 'dad'.

After some more small talk we walked to the cruiser. Charlie is the Police Chief Swan to the good citizens of Forks. I have been saving money so I could get myself a car when I got here, for two reasons. 1. I don't want to have to depend on Charlie whenever I need to drive somewhere, and 2. Nothing, I repeat, nothing slows down the traffic like a police car, and I refuse driving around town in a car with red and blue lights on top.

This was actually my biggest motive of buying my own car; I really didn't like driving around in the cruiser.

When we got to the front door of the little airport I hesitated. It was only drizzling, so I should be fine. I took my gloves on, fast put on my rain jacket and got out the umbrella and then I was safe to go out in the rain. Charlie looked at me with an odd expression on he's face, but quickly wiped it away when he saw me looking at him.

The one hour drive to Forks was quiet and none of us said much. We were both silent people, and didn't express our feelings like other people did. We both had no problem with being alone. I guess I was too much like my father in that way.

When we finally arrived at the familiar little white house – it wasn't big, but it was cosy – I saw that it was one more car in the driveway.

"Did you buy yourself another car dad?" I didn't understand what he needed it for, maybe it was a guy thing, but still, the care looked really outdated.

It was an old big Chevy Truck in a faded red colour; one of those things that can be in accidents but come out of it with not even a scratch in the paint, while the other car is a total wreck. "Do you like it? It's your homecoming present." I was shocked.

"Dad, I was going to buy myself a car."

He looked at me. "I want you to be happy here. It's a homecoming present, and it's already yours." I smiled at him before looking back to the truck. It was a nice car, good for 'me' car.

I really liked it. No, I didn't like it, I loved it! I could really imagine myself inside it. It was totally perfect. I smiled even wider. "Thank you so much dad, I love it!" I really did.

"Well let's get inside. I can order a pizza for dinner." I smiled a forced smile; I really didn't want to go out of the warm and dry shelter of the car. But as I looked out the window, it went up for me that it actually for one's wasn't raining, I smiled to myself as I stepped out of the car and retrieved my suitcases, walking in with Charlie in front of me, carrying my other bag.

The house was just like I remembered it. The stairs that I had fallen down so many times that led up to the second floor with the two bedrooms and bathroom, the living room and kitchen.

Charlie lived in a small two bedroom house that he bought with my mom in the early days of the marriage. Not that there marriage had lasted very much longer than the early days, but still.

And as always, it was no change, the yellow cupboards – my mother painted them to try to get some sun into the house, the pictures on the walls, with me in different photos, school pictures and other photos taken through the years. I needed to see if Charlie could put away those. They really were embarrassing, and of course the TV which always was on a sports channel.

Like I said; no change at all.

But Charlie wasn't actually the kind of man who bought small decorative pillows just to make it look nice. He made it work the way it was, he didn't actually get rich on the job he had as the Chief of Police, so he had no money ore interest in redecorating the house.

I followed Charlie up the stairs as he was on his way to my bedroom to put my bag down. I had the west side bedroom which faced out against the front yard. The room was the same as it always had been. The wooden floor, the light blue walls, the yellow curtains and the old rocking chair in the corner, the rocking chair was a good reminder of my childhood.

The only changes that had been made was changing the crib into a bed and adding a desk. It was also a second hand computer on the desk and a phone. I looked around the room again. It was so many memories here.

Charlie sat down my bag at the same time as I let go of my suitcase.

"We can have dinner in about 30 minutes if that is fine with you?"

"Yes, that's fine. I am just going to start unpacking."

The best thing about Charlie is he doesn't hover. So he nodded and went down stairs.

As I started to unpack I heard the steady rhythm of raindrop's falling on the roof, and soon the rhythm got louder and was like a constant noise in the back of my head. After about ten minutes, I couldn't help myself but to look out the window and see if it actually was raining cats and dogs.

I pushed the curtains aside and gasped. It was a grey wall of water right outside of my window. I almost couldn't see the tree that was three meters from my bed room window I could almost not even spot the two cars in the driveway.

"Oh, for God's sake, it's everywhere!" I wanted to scream it out, but couldn't because of Charlie who sat right under me in the living room. But look at all that water, it was insane!

As I was standing there going on and on about the water I figured I should take a shower before dinner. I really needed to get myself away from the window. It made me nervous just standing there, knowing that I could not go outside this house. It was claustrophobic.

* * *

I really hate taking a shower, which meant that I actually had to go under the water, and then it would happen again. How I hate what has happened to me, if it would have been another choice, I would take it.

I would be grateful to anything that could let me take a normal bath for once.

I grabbed my toilet bag and a new set of cloths and headed to the bathroom at the top of the stairs. I just needed to get it over with.

I stepped into the bathroom and started the water in the bathtub. I looked as the hot water filled it up. For a normal person it would have been nothing special with this, but for me it was terrifying.

And the thing I was, had led to the fact that I hadn't been able to take a normal shower for over almost a year; that I always had to take a bath which was very frustrating.

The tub was filled and I stopped the water, stripped down and stood there and just looked at the water before I stepped into it and quickly set down. And of course 30 seconds later it happened again; like it did every time.

God I hate what I am.

* * *

**Hi, sorry that I left you with a cliff. ^^ **

I am going to get up the third chapter before I go to England in the middle of next week.

So from next week it won't be an update for about 3 weeks.

**Love Anqeole. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note:**

**Hi everyone, I am so sorry I didn't get up the third chapter before I travelled to England.**

**But I seriously didn't have time.  
Anyway, I have been using some of my time in England to plot how this is going to continue, but I really would love some reply and reviews on whether you  
like or dislike my story. I really want to know if it is worth continuing on. **

**Or just go over to a new idea instead and try that out. **

**Give me some feedback and answer.**

**Love Anqeole **

* * *

_God I hate what I am._

**BPOV**

**Chapter 3: First day **

I leaned my head back at the bathtub. It wasn't even 30 seconds; it took about 15 or less to change, which was a very short time to get out of sight if this ever happened in public. I didn't want to look, but sooner or later I had to. So I bit my teeth together and opened my eyes.

Down at the place my legs should have been were a tail. Yeah, you heard me right, a tail. Like the mermaids have. It was yellow-golden-orange and covered in scales, and of course at the end; the big flopping thing.

And then it was the rest of me. It is not like those mermaid stories and such when you got this bikini top looking scale form to cover your upper part, no, not at all. It was more like a few scales like those on my tail, covering just about my breasts. I swear, when I say just about, I really mean just about cover. It would be really embarrassing if somebody ever saw me like this. It also was a path of scales going up my spine and disappearing in my brown hair. And some of those up thingies I never remembered the name of where on this line and down my tail, I guess for controlling or something like that.

Not that I needed it, I never went swimming or where in the water anyway. I had gone swimming three times, and that really didn't turn out well.

It was some cool stuff following with the tail as well though. I could control water, heat it up till a hell of a high degree and frees it to ice and even colder than ice. But not only with water; I could also use this heating and freezing power on things, other floating substances and people - freezing accident on my old school; don't ask.

And after that it isn't more to it. The rest of me was 100 % human. No heeling, no fast running – except when I was a mermaid, I could swim damn fast – not super strong, just a normal human. Oh, and it was one more thing th-

My thoughts were interrupted by Charlie knocking on my door, saying dinner was here. I drained the tub for water and dried myself of with the heating power.

And then I was again, just an ordinary human, like everybody else. How I wish it was that easy.

Faster then I wish, the next day came. It was time for my first day at Forks high school. My stomach was turning inside out and I had a really bad feeling. This was never good, and always gave a bad outcome.

I was at the moment driving through the small town of Forks in my roaring truck; trying to find school, even though it wasn't much of a challenge. It was a big sign saying 'Forks High – Home of the Spartans'. A loud sigh escaped my lips and I had to repress the urge to bang my head on the steering wheel.

Finding the front office wasn't hard and I got fast in and fast out without getting to much attention while getting my schedule. As I got in my truck I made sure I had all the waterproof gear on and with me. Jepp, everything is there.  
**AN: just to have said it, every time she is going outside she has on here hood and has the umbrella up. No matter the weather. And she never takes of here boots or here water proof glows – or the waterproof soot she got under here cloths, and just to make sure she stays dry she has a towel in her back pack for emergencies. I think it is pretty stupid to write this every time she walks outside so I just say it now and then you get the picture. **

I still had to find a place to park my car though, so I started up the roaring lion – which I love – and started to drive in the direction of the other cars.

And luckily I noticed that almost all of the other cars were older models like mine. Except for a silver Volvo; which I parked as far away from as possible. It was cars like that my car could run right over without difficulty. And I didn't want to owe somebody a new car by accident. Especially not an expensive one.

As I got in the lot I quickly cut the engine, No need to attract unnecessary attention. As I was sitting there I started memorising my schedule.

I was not going to go around the howl day with my nose in the map to find my classes.

My schedule wasn't that bad but definitively could have been better.

Spanish – Veldon  
Government – Jefferson  
Trigonometry – Varner

**LUNCH**

Biology – Banner  
P.E. – Clapp

At home it was only required with two years of P.E. here it was required all four years.

My personal hell on earth.

I stuffed my schedule and the map in my back pack and as I climbed out of my truck, locked it up and turned to the school, the second sigh for this morning escaped my lips as I got out the umbrella, dragged up my hood and started to walk to the class room.

On my way there I got a lot of curious stares and I could hear whispers going on around me. How I hate being the new student, everybody always has to talk about you behind your back and everybody always tries to be your friend. It was just stupid. Leave the new student alone for Christ sake!

But people never did that so why even wish for it. Miss. Veldon was a nice teacher; she just singed the slip and pointed out a seat. Some teachers always made you stand in front of the class and introduce yourself.

As I plopped down in my seat a girl came over to me. "Hi, my name is Jessica, your Isabella right?" I smiled at here. At least she was polite. "Just Bella."

"How do you like Forks?" she asked. And I guess she was hoping for a nice response. "It's ok, just different." I faked a smile, even though it felt like I was going to vomit. I despised Forks. She didn't notice though. "Yeah, you're from Phoenix right? I thought people from Phoenix were supposed to be like, really tan." Oh, I don't like this girl. "My mother is part albino." I said. She just looked at me, and after about 2 minutes I had to repress the urge to roll my eyes. Looks like clouds and sarcasm doesn't go well together. If I stayed here to long I wouldn't be able to use proper sarcasm anymore.

The class started, so I didn't have to talk to the girl anymore. Luckily.

As the class ended the Jessica girl came and asked me to sit with them at lunch. And just to be polite I said yes.

Government went totally fine and trig wasn't that bad, except for the fact that in trig I had to stand in front of the howl class and introduce myself. I stammered and blushed and on my way to the desk I stumbled over my own feet and the air around them. I had a feeling I wasn't going to like that teacher very much, and not only for the subject he were teaching.

And then it was lunch. It was a boy named Mike which kept following me around like some kind of lost puppy. He was nice to talk to and all, and he supported with most of the talking, but I think he was under the impression that I liked him. He had that look, but I hope I was wrong, really hoped.

I didn't have any experience in turning high school boys, or any other boys down. It's rather weird though, back in Phoenix no boys gave me any attention. But that can have something to do with the fact that they watch me go through puberty and growing up. But still, I was a plain Jane. Maybe it was because I was new here. I bet that never happened often.

Mike and I were walking towards a table – each with a tray of food – I could see Jessica, and some other people which had attended the same classes as me. But I could not remember their names though.

"Hey everybody! This is Bella." Mike said as he sat down on the table.

Ok, I really couldn't take this boy. "Hi." I said, and me being shy it almost just came out in a whisper.

After the introductions I figured out the only one I liked, as wanting as a friend liked, of all the people on the table was Angela. She wasn't like 'oh, look! The new girl!'. She was actually nice.

The conversation flouted by, and as I sat there, trying to chime in whenever I could trying my hardest to make conversation, that I first saw them. They were almost in the opposite side of the cafeteria from where I was. It was 5 of them. They weren't talking and they weren't eating, and as far as I could tell they weren't looking at anything in particular in the room. Just sitting there staring into space. But that wasn't what caught and held my attention.

They were all five of them, inhumanly beautiful. It was two girls and three boys.

On was big and looked like a serious weight lifter, with dark curly hair. The next was taller, but still as much mussels and blond hair. The one girl who sat next to the big brown haired guy was beautiful out of believes. She looked like one of the girls who could be on the front page of sports illustrator magazine, with blond long hair, beautiful features, curved in all the right places, she made every girl – including me – take a hit on her own self esteem just by being in the same room.  
The next girl was a different type. She was small and thin in the extreme, beautiful features with black spiky hair who pointed in every direction. The last one almost made me drop my jaw. He was totally, and incredibly gorgeous. He was tall, lean, less bulky, but still had mussels and he was more boyish than the other two. He looked more like a Greek God then a high school student. And what just took the cake was his hair. It was just a big bronze coloured mess on the top of his head.

I had to repress the urge to go over there and drag my hands through it. As I watched them, I noticed that even though they were very different, they were all still just the same.

They all had pale skin, even paler then me - the albino, all of them had golden or topaz coloured eyes and they had bruise like shadows under them. Like they all suffered under sleepless disorder or was just done recovering from a broken nose. But even their noses, all there fetters, were perfect. Before I could stop it it popped out of me. "Who are _they_?"

A chuckle came from Jessica. "I see you have noticed the Cullen's and the Hales."

I frowned. "Who are the Cullen's and who are the Hales?" I asked. Starting to become inpatient with here.

I suddenly saw a glimpse in her eyes which only could mean one thing; she was starting with the gossip. Jessica was the worst gossip girl I had ever met, and she only got that lookwhen there was some really good gossip. "Well, the Cullen's are the big guy with brown hair named Emmett, the little pixie girl is Alice and the bronze haired God is Edward. The Hale's are the blond one Rosalie and the blond male named Jasper. They are all adopted by Mr. And Mrs. Cullen. No one of them is related except the Hale's. I think Mrs. Cullen is there aunt or something." I looked over from Jessica to them.

"Why are they sitting alone?" I asked. They looked like outsiders. I thought about their names. Strange old fashioned unpopular names. Names grandparents would have.

Jessica was suddenly by my ear, continuing the gossip. "Well, Emmet and Rosalie are together and Alice and Jasper are together. I mean like together together." She had this expression which said freaks on her face. "Jess, they aren't actually related." Angela said, taking the words right out of my mouth. "Yeah, but they live together, it's weird." She went back to poking here salad. I on the other hand looked back at them.

I then noticed there cloths they looked, expensive and I bet it is them who own the silver Volvo outside. They must be rich. And even with the money and the looks I couldn't help but feel sorry for them. Suddenly Jasper and Edward looked over at me. I blushed and dropped my head. Embarrassed of getting caught. I could feel eyes on my back. The warning bell rang and I hurried out of the cafeteria. Saved by the bell, quiet ironic huh?

Biology next, due to the fact that I ran by the toilet on my way to class I was late. Great, the first day and I was already running late to things.

I came almost jumping into the class room as the last bell went of. "Great you could join us Miss. Swan." The teacher said; nose buried in papers. And of course I blushed a scarlet red. He signed my slip and assigned me my seat. And just my luck, the only open spot was next to the bronze haired Greek God. With my head low I walked over and sat down, tripping down into my seat. The girl on the table beside me chuckled.

The boy – or Edward as his name was – had stiffened up as I sat down, but just as fast as he stiffened, he relaxed and looked over at me, curiosity obviously evident in his eyes. "Hello." He said, giving me a gentle smile. "My name is Edward Cullen, you must be Isabella Swan?" He was so polite, and he had this accent I had only heard in old movies. Weird, I had never meat anybody with an accent from the 19 century before. Maybe I was wrong. "Ju-just Bella."

Way to go Bella, you really got stile, stammering like an idiot in front of a cute guy.

"Nice to meet you Bella." I gave him a smile stopping the constant scolding I was doing in my head. "Like vies Edward."

"So, how do you like Forks so far?" he asked, smiling. I on the other hand grimaced. "It's ok." I said. He was on his way to ask something else when Mr. Banner interrupted.

Class started and I didn't have another chance to talk to him and sooner than I would have wished the class ended and it was P.E.

It was terrible. I made two people trip: and hit one guy in the head with a football. Not only did I inflict injuries on people around me, but I also ended up with a lot of bruises; that after the first P.E. lesson. I was going to die before the month was over.

Rubbing my arm I walked over to my red Chevy truck trying, the best I could to keep the umbrella steady over my head.

I got in and started up the roaring lion from its sleep. I jumped a little bit in my seat, but nothing I couldn't get used to. And as I drove of, one day overcome in this hell of a town, I swear I could see the Cullen's having some kind of discussion or argument, but maybe I was wrong.

The things that walked around in my head on my way home were Edward. I couldn't get that adorable crocked smile out of my head.

After making Charlie's dinner, finishing my homework and figured out what to wear tomorrow I ended again up on my bed, thinking about Edward. God, I feel like one those crazy stalker girls.

Well tomorrow would be another day, maybe it just was the first impression that made him seem so damn handsome and polite.

Then I remembered the bad feeling I had had this morning. I must have been wrong.

And with that, I got to bed and ended up with a restless night, rain and wind making screaming sounds around the house corners and trees scraping on the windows and roof. I was never going to get used to living in this wet and stormy alien town.

* * *

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**Love Anqeole**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3: Gods team**

The next day I woke up to an unusually bright room. After getting myself out of bed I looked outside and what I saw almost made me scream. The whole front yard, road, everything was covered in snow.

I grabbed the clothes I had found the day before and stumbled towards the bathroom, this day could really not get any worse.

When I was done I looked at myself in the mirror. Nothing new had happened, and there was no room for improvement either. The long brown hair that would never do what I told it to do, the pale skin and of course the dull brown eyes. I was a plain Jane, nothing more to say about that. Breakfast was a fast granola bar and a glass of milk. I was running a bit late and on my way out I almost forgot my back pack.

I turned on the spot, ran into the kitchen, grabbed my gloves and the umbrella and put up my hood before I grabbed my back pack and sprinted outside. But as my legs hit the snowy ground I fell, right into the white wet stuff.

As I fell it went up, showing me that it wasn't only snow, it was ice underneath. My hood went off and I landed head first into it.

No!

I jumped up and ran inside, grabbing a towel and trying to wipe the wetness off my face and my dripping hair. "No, no, no, come on!" I screamed. But it was already too late so I threw off my jacket boots and gloves, trying to save as much of my clothes as possible.

A loud bang was heard through the house. And there I was, lying on the floor on my back, clothes in shreds around me and a tail which seriously didn't make the case any better, the only clothing that was sort of still intact was my sweater.

"Ah hell." I said to myself banging my head on the floor. Looks like I have to skip first period.

I sighed before trying to close the door to the winter wonderland which waited right outside my door.

I turned back into a human, ran to my room and put on the reserve water proof suit – I needed to order a new one soon, I only had two left and if this continued they wouldn't even last out the week.

After setting my hair up in a bun I tucked it inside the hood, put on a scarf that covered half of my face, and of course gloves and boots. I then grabbed my back pack and walked careful over to my truck with the umbrella safely plastered over my head, not getting any of the white danger magnets on me.

Finally getting in my truck I could breathe out until I saw what the time was. Shit, it's almost lunch.

Driving carefully I reached school, took the umbrella and walked as fast as I could to the cafeteria. I knew how I looked. With a scarf covering half my face, umbrella, gloves, hood. Big trousers – my jeans was ripped apart weren't they? I probably looked like a bank robber or something. But I didn't care.

When I finally had gotten under the safe shelter of the cafeteria roof I took my umbrella down and walked in.

As I opened the door the cafeteria went quiet. Great, I was the centre of attention, again.

I took my hood down and pushed the scarf off my face before walking over to the lunch line, getting myself a salad I walked over to the table and sat down next to Angela, still feeling people's eyes on me. "Hey guys." I said.

"Where have you been?" Jessica asked. "We have been calling you all morning." She was interested in something to gossip about. "My alarm clock is ruined. I have to buy a new one." I could hear the lie in my voice, hoping that they didn't.

And they didn't, which actually was a surprise.

As I was sitting there, making conversation with them for the second day I looked over at the Cullen's table. And it surprised me when I saw Edward looking at me. He had this look though.

Like he had heard my lie, or had heard what I had said at least. But that was impossible; he was on the other side of the cafeteria. It sure looked like he had heard though, he had this look. This 'I know your lying, and it's not good' look. I fast turned away as my face turned a dark shade of red. And as I sat there, trying to ignore the feeling of his eyes on my back the bell went. Time for Biology.

I was actually on time when I came walking into the class room, sitting down at the table. Mr. Banner was giving out equipment.

The people started to fill in and Edward came and sat next to me. I still had my hair in a bun and the gloves on, I felt pretty stupid.

"Hello." The velvet voice sang through the room. "Hi." Was my - oh so brilliant - answer.

"So, what happened to you today?" He asked. I stiffened. He had actually noticed my absence. I felt like turning into jell-o right there but my smarter side told me something else. "I over slept." To say it easy, lying wasn't my strongest side.

He gave me that look again – of disapproval. But I just shrugged it of.

"So class, today we are taking test with water, I have put out different types of substance on your tables. Each having different levels of water. Some are only 10 %, others are 30 and some are 90. You put it on your skin and see how it reacts. Much water, not much happening, almost no water, and what happens is your job to find out. Also figure how many substances are water and how many are something else. Get started."

I'm sure I was as pale as a sheet. I was dumb founded I could also feel my mouth hanging open but I couldn't find the switch in my head which closed it. If there is a God out there, he hates me.

Something poked my arm - that did it. My mouth closed and I turned. My eyes felt like they would pop out of their sockets any minute.

Edward was looking at me, a concerned look on his face. "Bella?" I didn't answer; I needed to get myself out of this. How? "Bella?" I'm sure I looked pretty sick right now. Yes, I had been gone most of the day, maybe I could use that to my advantage. My hand shot up. "Yes Bella?" Mr. Banner asked. "I-I don't feel very well." I stuttered out. Mr. Banner looked at me, and I'm sure I was still pale as a sheet. "No, you don't look good." He mused. "Can I go to the nurse?" I asked. He nodded and gave me a paper in case anybody wondered why I wasn't in class. I grabbed my back pack fast and almost ran out of the class. The last thing I saw was Edward looking at me with suspicion.

And as easy as that, I was out of the classroom, out of the lesson with water testing. Go me! Take that God, one point to me!

As I walked down the corridor I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and headed over to the nurses office, just so Mr. Banner wouldn't think I was ditching.

After staying at the nurses office for the rest of the hour, I headed for gym, I bumped in to Mike on the way though and he ended up following me to gym, even though I knew the way perfectly myself.

He asked all the way over there if I was fine, and if I was starting to get sick. Really annoying. I could finally escape into the girls changing room though; overjoyed he couldn't follow me here.

Gym was just like yesterday: terrible! We played cannonball – I don't think I need to say any more on that subject.

It was raining when I got out of gym. This was so not good. I tucked my hair into the hood, dragged the thick scarf up almost all of my face, took out the umbrella and headed for my truck. I was almost waterproof now. I was by the front door when I noticed something silver and shiny on the tires.

I went to the back end and looked. There were chains on my tires. My dad must have put them on before I woke up. He must have gotten up God-knows how early to do that.

A feeling came up inside of me, but I didn't have time to dedicate it before I heard tires protesting, and something skidding across the ground.

I spun around and saw Tyler's van coming towards me in a speed which certainly was over the limit.

And as I stood there I got a lot of adrenaline pumped to my brain which made me notice much more at the same time, and as I stood there I also noticed one other thing. I saw Edward standing by his Volvo, at the other side of the lot, a horror struck expression on his face with the little pixie looking one at his side, looking much the same - looking a lot like many of the other students in the parking lot for that matter.

Tyler must have lost control over his van on the ice, stupid boy.

There was only one thing to do.

My hand shot out and the ice where I stood and in front of me damped away and left dry pavement. It came closer and as I slammed out my hand hoping it was going to stop, suddenly something hard hit me from the side.

I could feel something metal against my hand I looked and saw that my hand was at the vans side, and if I hadn't known any better it would have looked like I had stopped it with my bare hands. I withdraw my hand fast. Next to where mine had been was a pale hand which I by the second recognised as Edward Cullen's.

I looked up at his face and noticed he was holding me a few centimetres over the pavement that again had gone wet because of the rain. But I had actually managed to keep myself from losing the umbrella. It was still safely over my head. I also noticed that his face was just a few inches from mine and he was pressing me against his body, holding me up. "How?" we both said at the same time. I tried to stand up but he wouldn't let me. "Can I stand?" I asked. "You might have a concussion." He answered. Hell no, I was fit as a fiddle.

"No I have not, the pavement is wet and cold and I need to stand up." I said firmly. After looking at me, he let me, not taking his eyes away from me as I did, like he was analysing, checking for damage. "How did you do that?" I asked. The screaming started around us and people started to rush over, trying to move the van and talking about calling 911, but I ignored them. I needed answers.

"What do you mean?" he had a guarded expression, and I saw that he had moved as far away from me as the little space between the cars allowed. That hurt a little I had to say. "Get over to me so fast, you where by your car at the other side of the lot." I said it as a fact, not a question, because it was a fact. "I was standing right next to you Bella." He said. Bullshit. "No you weren't. I saw you."

"I was standing right next to you. You hit your head pretty hard, you are confused." That made me so pissed of, I so wanted to freeze him down or something, but I couldn't do that. I could always manipulate water so it rained more on him then the rest of us though, like a water magnet.

"I did _not _hit my head. I know what I saw. Can you just spare me the bullshit; I have had enough of that in my life." I was starting to get really angry now. "Then maybe you can tell me how you stopped a van with you bare hands."

I wanted to laugh when he was done. "I did not stop a van with my bare hands."

I answered. It was no lie, and I saw he could hear that it was the truth. Ha! Take that one pretty boy! We stood there staring each other down before suddenly the paramedics came running, trying to push me down on a stretcher. Something which is never going to happen.

*******

Here I am, sitting in the hospital, or righter faking sleep is the right term to use. Tyler is constantly apologising to me, saying sorry and that it wasn't his fault and the worst part is that he says he is going to make it up to me.

I don't want him to make it up to me, I just want him to stop bugging me about it, and I said I forgave him. It's no big deal. It's not like I'm dead, or hurt for that matter. I am totally fine, but they won't let me leave. And I think I can owe Edward that. He absolutely had to tell them I hit my head pretty hard, that I may have a concussion, which is totally stupid, because I absolutely don't have a concussion. I bet that's one of the main reasons the paramedics forced me to be put a stretcher on. I got off it the second I was in the ER though. It's somewhere under the bed.

As I was lying there, drowning in self petty a smooth velvet voice reach me ears. "Is she asleep?" I flung my head up from the pillow and looked my eyes on the little traitor standing at the end of Tyler's bed. I gave him my best glair. He of course just smirked.

And then Tyler had to break in starting to say he was sorry. I watched in amusement as Edward just lifted his hand and said. "No blood no fool." He then turned to me, I glared again. "What are you doing here?" I asked. Not managing to hold a good angry tone. "I came to spring you." He said, smiling, amused. Then a man who probably could be a movie star walked around the corner to the right side of my bed.

He was looking down at some papers. He had blond hair, pale skin, those topaz coloured eyes – which I could only say were the Cullen's eyes, this had to be Edward's adoptive father, Mr. Cullen. I didn't know he was a doctor and I didn't know his name, I assumed he was a doctor from the white robe and the doctor looking stuff he was carrying, he could probably be a movie star instead of a doctor though, he actually was better looking than many movie stares I had seen. I was shocked and did my best to keep my mouth from falling open. He looked at me and smiled. "Hello Isabella, how are you feeling?" He asked, taking out one of those small flash lights and started checking my vitals.

"Bella." I answered, not liking to hear my full name. "Well then Bella, your vitals look good, so do you x-rays. No signs of any concussion or head trauma."

A smug smile crept up on my face. "I'm fine." I said sending Edward another glair. "You don't feel dizzy, disorientated..." He trailed off, an open list. "I'm fine." I said again.

"Since there are no signs of anything wrong I think you can go home, but if you start to feel unwell, come back to the hospital so we can take some more tests." I just nodded and jumped fast down from the bed. Me being me of course did it too fast and ended up staggering. Dr. Cullen caught me before I had a chance to fall. He looked down at me with a concerned look. "I'm fine." I said again standing properly. "Take some Tylenol for the pain." He said before moving over to Tyler. "I'm afraid you have to stay with us a little longer though."

He said. I didn't listen after that and turned to Edward instead. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

He nodded and followed me out in the hallway. I stopped and turned to look at him. He had this hostile and guarded look on his face again. "What?" He said, shortly. "How did you get over to me so fast?" I asked, still wanting to know. "I was standing right next to you Bella." He said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "No you weren't, you were next to you car, across the lot." I could see he started to get irritated. "You hit your head, you are confused. "

He stated. This guy was really starting to tick me of. "I know what I saw! And I did not hit my head that is a whole lot of bullshit do you know that?" My finger was up and it was right before I poked him in the chest. "If you are so sure then maybe you can tell me how you stopped a skidding van with your bare hands?" I took a step back, let my arms fall by my side and made myself emotionless. "I did not." I said. He shook his head. "I didn't think so." He said. "I saw you." I stood my ground; he was not going to get this one. "Well nobody is going to believe you so."

"I wasn't going to tell anybody." I said. He looked at me for a long time. "You aren't going to let this go, are you?" He asked sternly. I shook my head. "No." I already knew his answer and I felt like I was going to cry. "Then I hope you enjoy disappointment." I swallowed back the lump in my throat, or tried to swallow it back.

"The disappointment will be both ways then." I contoured, and turned and hurriedly walked away before he could see the tears that threatened to overflow in my eyes. Fine God, you win, my day has officially been a living hell.

Without looking back I walked to the waiting room and to my father who was overly worried. "I'm fine dad, I talked to Doctor Cullen and he said that I could go home." He nodded. "Well, I have to sign some paper work..." He hesitated, "And you should probably call your mom."

"You told her?" I almost choked out. He shrugged his shoulders; I on the other hand shook my head. "She is probably just, freaking out." I took out my phone as I walked away to call. But the second I came into the waiting room I had no chance. I was attacked with questions from Jessica, Mike, Eric, Angela and a lot of other kids from school. I just said I was fine and hurried out the doors to wait for dad figuring I should call my mom when I get back home where I could get more privacy. But as I went outside I realised it was raining. I was only a few meters from the cruiser, which I knew was not locked.

Who would want to steal a police car in a tiny town? My problem wasn't that though, the problem was the umbrella and the gloves. They were still in my backpack, which Charlie was carrying. Great, I'm stuck under a roof, it's raining down like never before and I have to stand here in the cold until Charlie gets out here.

So there I stood, waiting. It wasn't that bad until a person who's-name- shall-not-be-said – Edward – Came walking out of the hospital doors. He stopped when he saw me. "Why aren't you inside?" He asked in a detached voice, the kind of way you would say 'it's raining' to a random person you met in the super market. I looked over at him before turning back to the rain again before answering in the same voice he did, mocking him. "I am waiting for my dad."

"Why aren't you inside?" he continued. "WAY too many people."

"Why aren't you in the car?" He then asked. I stiffened. What was I going to answer? 'Well, I can't go out in the rain because I then will turn into a giant fish and then everybody would see and I would either end up as a science project or sushi in some kind of crappy sushi restaurant'? Not a chance, so before I had an opportunity to think of anything better I said. "It's raining." I instantly regretted it when I saw a look of surprise which turned into a look of deep thought on Edward's face. "It's just water though; you could borrow my jacket if you were afraid to get wet." He looked at me as what he said sank in. He was trying to dare me to walk out in the rain, that bastard. I'm sure I turned paler trying to figure out an excuse.

"I-I do-don't want to get wet." I stuttered, realising I was repeating him. As I was trying to come up with something more to say a car drove by where we stood and splashed water around it. I jumped back as far as I could until I was pushing my back against the wall breathing heavily. I was staring at the now calming water. Eyes wide open. So close.

I then looked up at Edward, who was still standing in place. I looked down at his legs. He was dry. Oh God, I had overreacted.

It was nothing more than a little splash. It would not have hit me. I looked then at Edward's face. He was looking from me to the water, and then back to me again, like he was calculating. I walked away from the wall, swallowing hard. "I-I don't want my shoes to get wet." I said. Trying to reason with what ever thoughts that was swirling around in that pretty little head of his.

He didn't say anything but just nodded and walked out in the rain towards his car. I wonder if he is bipolar? Just then my dad came out. I grabbed my back pack fast and took my gloves and the umbrella. I tucked my hair securely into my hood and wrapped the scarf safely around my face. As I walked to the car I could feel eyes on me, I turned and saw Edward looking at me from the inside of his car. He was analysing everything I did as I got into the car and made sure to be safely inside before taking my umbrella down. I didn't take my eyes off him until we drove away. I couldn't slip up anymore. He knew something was up. He had one point more than me.

And as I thought this I started to wonder if he had teamed up with God.

I didn't know so much about him, because he was definitively not human, and probably more used to acting human, something I wasn't, I hadn't been what I am for that long. I needed to figure out more about him. I needed to get in the lead again, he couldn't be ahead, he was way too observant for his own good, and too good at keeping up the facade.

We arrived home and I went up to my room to think through what I knew so far.

He was strong, observant, _really _smart and not to forget cold. He was really cold. But that doesn't really give any pointers or clues though.

I groaned into my hands. This is so going to give me a headache. Why can't he just be stupid like the rest of the boys? Instead he's smart, beautiful, totally gorgeous and he-

I straitened up in my seat and smacked away the big grin that had formed on my lips. Stop this right now! My mind screamed at me. This is stupid and he is nothing but a jackass.

A threat to you and your entire existents – if you could say it that way. You do not think he is hot, or totally fine. Just, concentrate.

And with that said I started doing homework, made dinner for Charlie and called my mom before going to bed. I still had problems falling asleep with the wind howling around the house walls and the rain crashing into my window. But it wasn't as bad as it was before. The claustrophobic feeling had started to dim a little, which was quite calming.

But even though I started to get used to it I fell into a restless sleep, filled with mysteries and shadows, and a person I can only recognise as Edward Cullen – the guy who gives me a headache because he is just one big mystery.

**Author's note:**

**Hi guys, sorry the update is so late. I am not going to come up with a lot of stupid excuses.**

**I am just going to say that sometimes life comes in the way of writing, unfortunately,**

**And sometimes there is nothing I can do about that.**

**But now I have updated, so, read and review everybody :)**

**Before I cut this author's note of I want to thank honeybunny.x, my Beta Reader, for the help with the chapter.**

**Thank you! :)**

**And thank you for the reviews!**

**My first day of High School today! Yeay! :) **

**Love Anqeole**

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: The box of depression and doom**

I can't believe this! What an asshole.

No talking at all, and did I mention that it has been 1 week? 1 fucking week!

You know what, I am going to stop trying, because I have no interest trying to talk to a person who is totally stupid and obviously has some kind of brain damage or problem.

I am guessing bipolar, or some other weird thing which causes you to have a split personality.

But before I start concentrating fully on that task, I have to survive the first full moon.

Right now I am driving to school. It's Friday and I am nervous as hell. Tonight it is a full moon, and that means total isolation, in my room.

And like I have said before, I hate what I am.

Driving into the school parking lot I spotted the silver Volvo and the Cullen's standing around it.

They all seemed very frustrated, except for Rosalie: she just looked bored.

Edward was the worst though, I think, but not far behind was Alice. They stared at me as I parked as far away from them as possible. Climbing out I could feel the stares they gave me. It was like they were trying to burn holes in the back of my head. As I turned and held the umbrella over my head, fully packed in rain clothes, Alice Cullen pushed away from Jasper and came skipping over to me.

Great, I thought, another thing to make my day.

On full moon days, I was always moody; it was like a second period, only two times worse.

I became a PMS'ing bitch. And it wasn't always a good thing to let my hormones get the best of me. My mom had often asked if I was pregnant on days like this – yes, it got that bad.

"Hi." Alice said in a happy voice. "I am Alice Cullen, Edward's sister. We are going to be best friends, I can feel it." She said, like she already knew. I looked over at the other Cullen's; Rosalie looked pissed, Emmett looked amused, Edward looked confused, and Jasper looked even more confused than Edward. How strange.

"Hello Alice." I said giving her a forced smile, I wasn't in the mood today – and why could that be I wonder (mark the sarcasm).

"What are you up to this weekend?" She asked. I sucked in a big amount of air. "Nothing." I said fast, putting my walls up around me, trying to protect myself in an invisible way.

She was not getting to me.

Alice looked over at the other Cullen's. "Why don't you come over to our house this weekend? We girls can have a sleepover; it would be so much fun! We can do makeover, watch movies and paint each other's nails. The boys are going hiking so it won't be a problem. What do you say?" She asked. She had lots of energy. I almost envied here, because I really started to feel like a first time pregnant, hormone sick girl. It was not a great feeling.

"No thank you Alice, I can't, my dad has goon on a fishing trip and I need to take care of..." I didn't know what to say. I just gave her better reasons for me to come to them. So I said the first thing that hit me. "...the...dog."

Fuck! I was screaming to myself. I don't have a dog for God's sake!

Holy crap! I am so screwed...

One of her perfect eyebrows shot up. "Your dog? I didn't know you had a dog?" She said, obviously didn't believe a word of what I was saying.

"Di-did I say dog? I meant fish. Yes, absolutely, I have a lot of fish to clean. Yes, Charlie is always fishing, a lot of fish!

Sorry, can't come, maybe another time, we can definitively take it another time. Ok? Next weekend? Yes, better next weekend. See you later. Bye!" I called over my shoulder as I hurried into the school building quitting my rambling, leaving a shocked Alice behind.

Hell, I would be shocked if someone had said so much weird to me in one sentence in such a short time.

But I didn't have time to think more of the fact because the warning bell rang and I had to hurry to my first class.

To say the Cullen's gave me strange looks would be an understatement. Even Rosalie gave me strange looks, and she normally just glared at me. When finally lunch arrived I had snapped at 5 people and shouted at another.

I even almost broke down in class when I couldn't answer one of the teacher's questions.

This hormone's are killing me!

As I walked to the cafeteria, Jessica by my side - looking at me worried, I felt a big wave of bad conscience hit me head on, I had shouted at those people. Oh God, I am such a bad person!

I had to struggle to hold my tears in. It was like switching buttons in my head, totally impossible to control.

I got my food with Jessica and plumped down in my seat, feeling sad. The table was quiet and I lifted my water bottle and drank, being careful not to get anything on the skin by my mouth. Then Jessica asked. "Bella, are you pregnant?" I sat opposite Lauren on the table and all the water I had gotten into my mouth came splashing out again.

It was a shock reaction and it sprayed all over Lauren, she screamed and jumped up from her seat. "What!?" I screamed at Jessica.

Then Lauren started screaming. "Ugh! Swan you are such a bitch!" She said before the entire cafeteria burst into fits of laughter. I rose from my seat as Lauren grabbed her water bottle and opened the lied.

I started backing up with my back pack in hand. I knew what she was going to do. "Lauren, don't!" I said, pleading, I think I screamed, but I really couldn't care at the moment. I was terrified.  
She just smiled, before she threw water at me. It was like slow motion. The water came towards me and I was frozen on the spot. I tried to shield myself with the arm that wasn't holding the back pack, but it was no use.

It hit most of my sweater, but it also came in my hair. And when it hit I ran, as fast as I could, out of the cafeteria and into the forest. It was the closest cover and I didn't have time to get to an empty room. I ran as far into the forest as I could, ignoring the wet branches that smacked me in the face and stomach, I came to a stop before ripped of my jacket, threw my bag away against a large tree, and then I didn't have time to do any more before I saw the forest floor coming up towards my face.

As I lay there, head down in the forest floor I started to cry. Fuck I hate this. My trousers was ripped and I only had a t - shirt, which was positively ruined, jacket and shoes left, or no, I didn't have any shoes, I didn't have time to get them of. "Fuck!" I screamed as I hit the wet ground with my fists. My tears soon stopped and I turned angry as hell.

I flipped myself over so I was sitting. I looked around, then I heard the screams. "Bella?" and "Bella, where are you?" and so on.

I started to panic; I need to get out of here. So I started to heat the spot I was on and the grass around me, and of course myself so the water damped away.

And as I did this I thanked God for letting the rain stop for a little bit.

And then, I turned into a human again, only sitting in a torn long t – shirt and a mostly ruined bra in the middle of nowhere.

I hurried to my feet and looked at my shoes, they where torn, but I managed to get them to sit on my feet with what used to be my trousers.  
I needed the water proof shoes more now than ever. I grabbed my jacket and put it on. It came down to my mid thigh, just covering my ass. I took my back pack and took the umbrella out.

I grabbed the rest of my clothes; put them in my back pack and started walking, avoiding wet branches and places where it was a lot of grass. If I got wet I hurriedly damped the water away. I was amazed at how far I actually had managed to get in such a short time, and without tripping or falling headfirst into the mud.

As I got to the edge of the forest I looked at the school. Nobody was out, they probably had lessons. So I ran. I ran over to the parking lot and jumped into my truck not bothering to check if anybody saw me.

Starting it up, I backed out of my space and drove as fast as I could towards home.

As I arrived at the house I ran in, and just as I closed the door behind me the sky opened up and rain started falling down.

I let out a sigh and walked up to my room to change and get ready for the night. There's no way I'm going back to that school today.

**

* * *

**

**RPOV:**

"Di-did I say dog? I meant fish. Yes, absolutely, I have a lot of fish to clean. Yes, Charlie is always fishing, a lot of fish!

Sorry, can't come, maybe another time, we can definitely take it another time. Ok? Next weekend? Yes, better next weekend. See you later. Bye!" she called over her shoulder as she hurried into the school. I was a little shocked, and angry. Who did she think she was? And who did Alice think she was? Just asking a random human if she could come to our _house_!?

And what kind of excuse was that? She didn't even make a proper sentence for crying out loud! Alice came skipping back to us, looking sad.

She hated to get turned down.

Then Jasper said something that shocked me even more then Bella's little performance, and Alice's for that matter.

"Her emotions, I have never gotten so many emotions from one normal healthy human, except from pregnant women." I stared at him. "Are you saying Bella is pregnant?" I asked, shocked.

But that wasn't possible, she had been to the hospital just 1 week ago, and she was positively not pregnant then. Then it would have been much more of a check up to see if the baby was ok.

Jasper shock his head. "She can't be pregnant; she was at the hospital a week ago and Carlisle hasn't said anything. But she had the same amount of emotions as a pregnant woman in the middle of a hormone rush."

How strange. I looked over at Alice and saw her eyes looking far away. She was having a vision. She shook her head and got back to reality. "Even stranger." Alice said. "What?" I asked.

I hated when she didn't just say what she saw. "It's Bella. She is totally going to freak out at least 5 times, scream at one person and almost start crying when she don't know the answer to one of the questions the teacher asks. And that is before lunch. But what is even stranger is that lunch is totally black. I can't see anything." She was worried, that much was obvious.

I, on the other hand was angry, totally furious. This little thing, or girl – or whatever you call her - is such a plague! Can't she just behave human like everybody else?

Edward sent me a glare. Like I cared, he was just as scary as a bunny in a field of beautiful purple wild flowers. At that another glare came my way.

Oh please, you know it is true!

I said to him in my mind. Then the bell went. "We should get to class." I said and took Emmett's hand before dragging him with me towards the school.

Lunch came. And I can't help but be a little curious to see what was going to happen. We were already in our seats when Bella came in. She looked sad, really sad. I wonder why.

She got her food and sat down on her normal table. She took her water bottle, but it was kind of weird because she was so careful, like she was afraid to spill. Then Jessica asked the golden question. "Bella, are you pregnant?"

All the water Bella had in her mouth came out again and sprayed to the other side of the table where Lauren sat. It got all over here. I almost laughed at that, Lauren was a bitch, and she deserved it. Bella screamed "What!?" at Jessica's face as Lauren shoot up from here seat, staring daggers at Bella.  
I couldn't help but chuckle now, this was hilarious. "Ugh! Swan you are such a bitch!" Lauren then screamed, Bella looked at here with wide eyes before I and a lot of other people burst into laughter.  
Then Bella got up from here chair backing a little bit up. "Lauren, don't!" she almost screamed in a pleading voice. But Lauren had a devilish grin plastered on her face as she threw the water over the table at Bella. Bella had a terrified look on her face as the water got closer to her. She tried to shield herself with one arm, but it was no use. It hit here square in the chest and over half her face and hair.

She threw her back pack over her shoulder and ran, or rather sprinted out of the cafeteria. And quiet fast to be a human, I had never seen any human run that fast, not even at the men Olympics - and that's saying something.

But it wasn't fast enough for humans to start wondering, I don't think any of the other humans in the cafeteria was paying any attention to Bella, as they where busy laughing at Lauren.  
I could hear her running, but she didn't run into the bathroom, she ran into the forest instead; that's strange.

I looked over at Alice. She was seeing the future again. Suddenly Edward was on his way up from his seat at vampire speed. Emmett grabbed him by the shoulder and pushed him back down. "What are you doing you fucking idiot! Are you trying to expose us?" I became angry just by the thought of him doing something stupid, again!

"I can't see her." Alice stated. "It's like she is dead." People in the cafeteria started to go out and call for Bella, looking around, trying to find her.

I looked over at Edward who was ridged. Emmett had problems holding him down. "She is not dead! Keep looking!" He said furiously at Alice, I had never seen him this angry. Alice obliged even though Jasper started growling at Edward. We sat like that for 10 minutes before Alice said. "This is strange." Then we heard Bella's truck in the parking lot, roaring to life and it disappearing out of the parking lot faster than any of us every had seen or heard her drive it - I was a little bit amazed that she even got it up to a speed over 40.

I looked over at Alice for an answer. Her brow furrowed. "I don't know."

I gasped; this is the first time I have ever heard Alice say that she didn't know what had happened. And I have to say, it worried me.

**

* * *

**

**BPOV:**

Charlie had left for the fishing trip just as I thought, and when I had gotten dressed I started covering the windows with black plastic. I could not see any moonlight though this, which was good.

When I was done with the house I sat down and looked at the clock. The moon was coming up in 5 minutes. I peeked through the door up to the sky and saw that it, for once, showed stars. When I saw this, I fast locked the door and sat down on the sofa in the living room.

It was dark. No light came in through the plastic, and it was totally silent.

I was in my own little box of depression and doom.

But that suddenly changed. It felt like people was watching me.

Like I wasn't alone. *Cough* – the Cullen's – *cough*. And to say it freaked me out would be an understatement. I walked over to one corner which didn't have any windows, sat down, and clutched my knees to my chest. But it didn't help when I knew I couldn't run away, even if I had to.

I was captured and if somebody broke in at this moment, or if the house burst into flames. I would still sit here.

As raindrops started drumming on the roof, silent tears made their way down my face as memories of earlier full moons crept it's way to the front of my mind,  
and the only light point I could find as the tears streamed down my face like a water fall, was that my own tears didn't turn me into the one thing I hated the most in this world, a mermaid.

**

* * *

**

Author's note:

**So, what do you think? Good? Bad?**

**Give me some feedback guys ^^ **

**Well, at least I hope you liked it, and sorry it came this late, I have been drowning in school work and I had a writer's block at some point, it really hasn't been my week. :S**

**And sorry that it was short, working on a longer one right now :) **

**Before I end this author's note I want to thank my Beta Reader honeybunny.x for the help :D **

**And then I want to say 'thank you' to Forever Reading aka Meg for giving me some humour as I was writing this chapter.**

**And to vampirelovers345 for the reviews, I really appreciate them. **

**So, read and review! :) **

**Thank you! **

**Love Anqeole ^^ **


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's note:**  
Hi everyone ! I am so so so so sorry that I have not posted a chapter before now, I were supposed to post it up before I went away to France but , as you may understand that did not happen :S So, yeah, there are a howle bunch of spelling mistakes on this Authors note because I am right now in France, writing on a french keyboard and I have about three minutes left since I am on a internet café, no spelling contrôle either ! Or, it's french spelling, but that wont help me much now will it ? :O

I am posting up the unfinished Chapter 6, so that you can have something to read on until I get back from France and away from these aweful keyboards and back to my spell check and so on .

BTW I am deliting this one and posting up the finished chapter when I get that one back from my beta .

Arevouir mon amies ! Jouir !  
Love Anq – the retarded author… x)

_As raindrops started drumming on the roof, silent tears made their way down my face as memories of earlier full moons crept it's way to the front of my mind,  
and the only light point I could find as the tears streamed down my face like a water fall, was that my own tears didn't turn me into the one thing I hated the most in this world, a mermaid. _

**Chapter 6: Friends**

I woke up, curled up on my bed. It was dark, and I couldn't see the hand in front of me, reaching for the light switch on my bedside table I turned it on and noticed the dark plastic that covered the window. The previous night came back to me; a full moon, but a pleasant one none the less. Nothing crazy had happened and now it was about, I looked over to the calendar on the desk. I couldn't see so I stood up to go and look. But as I walked I got this strange feeling again of being watched.

I froze in my tracks and looked around me, searching for an answer.

As I searched I saw the time on the bedside table. It was 8 o'clock in the morning, on a Saturday. I groaned. Great, another early morning, it was no possibility of getting back to sleep now.

In a grumpy mood I walked over to the window and ripped of the dark plastic, feeling like hitting something. I was always in a grumpy mood the day after a full moon, and not to mention really tired. After the full moon my powers where at the weakest. It took 2 to 3 days to get up from the down fall. But the strange thing was that if I actually where exposed to moonlight – which is a really bad thing – I felt better the next day. It should have been the other way around.

I looked out the window, it was drizzling and the fog was as thick as a wall, well hell that just made my day.

As I stood there, glaring at the fog-wall and rain drops - daring it to go away - I saw a movement in my **pupillage (Sorry about this, I know it's wrong, but as you may have understood, I am not English, and the dictionary would not tell me what it was supposed to be so... Hope you understand it anyway)** vision.

My head wiped around on instinct and I scanned the forest. Nothing. You need to relax Bella, you are getting paranoid, I said, scolding myself in my head.

Folding the plastic peace in my hands I walked over to my wardrobe, away from the window and the wet outside world. After getting dressed in casual clothes, for once I dropped my water proof gear – I was not going outside today.

I walked down the stairs to start my day.

After breakfast I started to take the rest of the plastic down, putting it into a big box which I pushed into the wardrobe in my room for later use.

I spent the day doing homework, cleaning, washing and making food when needed. And by the end of the day I walked and sat down in the door opening, just looking at the falling rain. I was drained of energy; it was lovely to do something that didn't require physical movement for once.

It was strange, how some weird liquid could be your worst nightmare. And that on top of it all you go to the strange falling wet stuff because you want to, or because you have to – in some way at least. I don't know how long I sat there, it could have been minutes or it could have been hours. But as Twilight approach, I closed the door and walked into the house.

I carefully sat down in the bath tub which was filled with hot water. Before all this I had loved to take a long warm shower after an exhausting day. The warm water that made your skin red always made my muscles relax. To me it was like a little bit of heaven, a sweet escape – you could say. But know, I could not take a shower, I could only take baths.  
And even though the bathtub was filled with _very _hot water, it wasn't the same. You didn't get the feeling of being under a steam of hot water,  
the drumming on you back as the steady rhythm relaxed you. It just wasn't the same and today it was even worse.  
Feeling exhausted, I just wanted to fall asleep right there in the bathtub. "Stupid full moon." I grumbled before ducking my head under water, closing myself of from the real world.

The rest of the night was very uneventful. And as the clock strike nine I crawled into bed, exhausted and sad, I hate my life I thought as I closed my eyes,  
hoping for once to get a good night's sleep.

I awoke the next day, feeling a lot better rested then I had in many weeks. I had been lucky that the full moon had been on a weekend. I get faster over the fall-down if I get a howl day to relax.

I had slept a howl night, no dreams, no disturbing rain, no nothing. I almost laughed of the relation. And with that I started the day with a huge smile on my face. Charlie came home around 10 o'clock.

"Hi dad!" I called as he came in the door, still feeling full of energy and in a great mood.

Charlie seemed a little surprised at my mood as he came walking into the kitchen. "Hi." He said, hesitating a little. "How was your fishing trip? Have the fish been biting?" I asked,  
tapping water into the sink. I had tall gloves, far up my arms to protect me from the water, and a cooking apron made of plastic. It didn't look nice, and it wasn't comfortable, but it made me waterproof and that was the most important thing. As I started to wash plates and glasses Charlie told me about his fishing trip with Harry Clearwater.

They had planned one more fishing trip next weekend or something like that, if the weather turned out nice that is. I only partly listened to what he was saying; I had to concentrate on what I was doing. As Charlie started on the fish he had caught it was a knock on the door. Charlie walked and opened. "Oh Billy, Jacob, what a surprise!" Charlie said.  
The names were familiar, but I couldn't put faces to the names. I turned and looked at the people who came into the kitchen. It was a man at the same age of Charlie in a wheelchair and a tall boy who looked a bit younger than me. He had russet coloured skin and long hair pulled back in a pony-tale. It was something familiar about the smile that showed of the white teeth. But what?

"Bella, this is Billy Black, and his son Jacob, you remember him right?" I looked over them again, a little clueless, Charlie clapped his hands together, looking over at Billy. "Well, Billy, there's a game on TV, you want to watch it?"

With that they disappeared into the living room, leaving me and Jacob. "Hi." I said as I turned back to the sink making sure not to get any water on me as I started on a new plate. "Hello, I'm Jacob, Jacob Black, we use to make mud-pies when we were little." And then it clicked. "Yeah, I remember." I said smiling at him over my shoulder. He walked over and leaned on the counter, watching me wash. "Don't want to get wet?" He asked, gesturing towards my apron as he chuckled, my face turned red.  
"Hey! Getting wet sucks especially when you are wearing the same cloths the rest of the day, and secondly, no poking the apron – I think it's cool."  
It was fairly true, getting wet did suck – for me at least, but that about the apron were a joke, it was ugly.

He raised his hands in mock surrender before we fell into a brief silence.

"So, how do you like the truck?" He asked, looking out the window at my beloved truck. "I really love it." I said, drying of the clean plate. "Really?"  
He asked, disbelief covering his face and voice. "Yes." I said stubbornly. "How you tried to go over 60 with it?" He asked. "Yes." I said again. I had, the day with Lauren, it had gone fine.  
"What about it?"  
"It didn't stop?"  
"No, it runs great." He looked back at the truck. "It used to stop when I went over 60 with it." He said. I smiled to myself as I retorted.  
"Well, maybe he just loves me more." shrugging my shoulders I started on the glasses. "He?" Jacob asked, like he couldn't believe I had put a gender to it.

Jacob and Billy stayed for dinner; we had fish – no surprise. Jacob was actually very nice and funny, one of the few persons I have met in Forks who actually was nice.

I went to bed early, totally drained, this is because of the full moon of course, drains my energy like a swamp. I was asleep even before my head hit the pillow.

"_Gooooddddd morning Washington! Today it will be a beautiful d-_" Then I hit the snooze button. People on radio stations were always way to happy in the morning, if I were more awake I would probably gag. I sat up in bed, groaning before putting my feet on the cold floor, standing up. I walked over to the window looking outside. "Beautiful day my ass." I mumbled as I walked over to the wardrobe. It was raining cats and dogs.

I did the usual I do in the morning, making myself waterproof, getting dressed, and eating breakfast before walking out to my truck. I arrived to school late and ran to class.

Lunch came dreadfully slow and it felt like I had been too school for 3 days before I finally could go with Jessica and Mike to the cafeteria.  
I was in a fairly good mood today, which was good, I didn't want to snap at people again – and after all it was Monday, Mondays usually sucks.

I just sat in biology, waiting for the bell to go if, I was early.

Which it did, after about 20 minutes.

People started to fill in, I just kept doodling on my book.  
I could hear Edward sitting down beside me but I paid him no mind, no need to ruin the good mood. "Bella?" Edward said. "What? Are you talking to me again?" I retorted, irritated,  
this guy could write a book on how to ruins someone's day – _No he can't you are happy that he is talking to you. _The little traitor voice said inside my head. "No, not really." He answered.  
My hands went to my temples. I am starting to get tired of this day, and whose fault might that be? "Then what do you want Edward?" I asked. "I am sorry, I am terribly rude, but its better this way, it's more prudent for you not to be my friend."  
I turned to him, a frown on my face. "What are you talking about?" I asked. He just turned away. "Fine, you just be like that."I said waving my hand in his direction – dismissing him.  
I could have sworn I heard a chuckle, but I might as well be wrong. The rest of the day got by and soon I was on my way home, finally.

The next day I woke up to sunshine coming true my window, which got me in a good mood by the second. The reason I had been in such a grumpy mood the last days must be that I got no D–vitamins. So in a good mood, I drove to school, singing along to a song on the radio.

I was early, so I sat down on a bench on the grass, nobody ever used this benches. Not weird though, it always rains. I sat there, soaking up vitamins and the sunshine, that's when I got that feeling again, of being watched. I looked over at the forest, searching for something I knew I wouldn't find.

Someone tapped my shoulder I turned away from the forest. There was mike. "Hi Mike." I said. Smiling. "Your hair has red in it." He said, taking a strand of my hair and putting it behind my ear. I cringed away. "Only in the sun." I said, giving him a strained smile. Luckily the bell went of – saved by the bell, how ironic.

The first classes went, but I didn't spot even one Cullen. As lunch came, I sat with Jessica, Mike and the others outside. And of course a glaring Lauren, but I paid here no mind or attention. I was sitting and looking for the Cullen's. "There not coming." Jessica said, she was sitting and soaking up sun like I had this morning. "What?" I asked. "The Cullen's, they are never hear on sunny days."

"What? They just skip?" Jessica shock here head. "No, Dr. and Mrs Cullen drag them out camping or something, they are really outdoor people. I tried that with my parents, not even close" _Well, at least it is healthy to camp. _I thought as I turned back to my table. The rest of the day was painfully slow before I finally could go into my truck and drive home. The rest of the day was the usual. Making dinner for Charlie, speculating over he Cullen's – didn't get anywhere though, still standing on the same spot, before doing some homework and going to bed.

The next day it was raining as I got up from bed. I sighed and started getting ready for school.

Arriving to school as usual I looked for the Cullen's. And there they where, standing by the silver Volvo. Well well, they are back. I couldn't help but chuckle – I sounded like a gangster out of a bad Mafia film. Rosalie Cullen's head whipped around to look at me, sending me a hard glare. Had she heard? But that's not possible; they were at the other side of the parking lot.  
She turned here head away. Surly it was just a coincidence. Wasn't it? Shaking my head I walked to class trying to get the Cullen's out of my head with no success.  
I was walking to lunch when someone tapped my shoulder. I turned. Eric Yorky. "Hi." I said, trying to give him a sincere smile. "Hi, I was just wondering if you would like to go to the dance with me?" He had so much confidence in his voice. I stared at him. "Do you mean the girls' choice dance?" I asked; trying to pinpoint the date."Yes, will you ask me?"  
I looked around me, searching for a place to escape. "I-I'm sorry Eric, but I am busy that weekend." He looked disappointed. "That's ok." he said.

Lunch went by. Jessica where acting strange. She didn't look at Mike at all, and Mike looked like he had gotten a slap in the face. Luckily I could leave the tense atmosphere when finally biology started. I sat down, Edward was already in his seat at the table, but he didn't look at me so I didn't look at him either. As I sat there somebody tapped my shoulder. I turned and Mike Newton came popping down in the chair in front of me, turning it so he could see me. "So..." He started. "Jessica asked me to the dance at lunch." I smiled. Finally I am getting him of my back. "That's great! You have fun with Jessica!" He looked a little sullen as I said the words. "I kind of said maybe..." I put a frown upon my face, repressing the urge to smack him opposite the head and scream idiot. "Why would you do that?"

"Well, I thought maybe you where planning... to ask... me?" To say I was stunned would be an understatement, and a little pissed too for that matter. Where do boys get all there delusional thoughts from? I put a serious face on. "Mike, I think you shall tell here yes."

"So you weren't going to ask me?" I sighed. "I am busy next weekend." the irritation was starting to show in my voice. "Eric said that."

"So why in the world did you say maybe to Jessica?"

"I thought maybe you where letting him down easy." He stated; stupid hormone-full high school boys. "I am really busy. So don't let Jessica wait any longer, it's rude." He walked of after that. I let out a breath I hadn't realised I was holding looking to the front of the room as Mr. Banner came walking in I can swear I saw a smile curving Edwards lips in the corner of my eye.

Finally, on my way home, or almost on my way home. I started the truck and backed out of the space. Just as I was giving gas a silver Volvo drove out in front of me and stopped. It was only Edward in the car; he was sitting there waiting for his siblings. I tapped my fingers impatiently on the steering wheel. I almost jumped out of my seat as I heard a tapping on my window. Trying to calm my heart down I started rolling it down. I manage a creek, but nothing more. "Hi Tyler." I said as he smiled at me. "Sorry about the traffic jam, Cullen is blocking me." I waved my hand towards the silver Volvo in an irritated manner. "Oh, that's not why I want to talk to you. Will you go to the dance with me next weekend?" He asked, sounding so confident just like Eric. "I thought it was a girl's choice." I said, irritated. "Well yes, it is. Will you ask me?" Feeling a little bit bad about being irritated at him I tried to smooth over the damage. "Sorry Tyler, I'm busy that weekend." The third time I had said this today. "Oh. That's ok, we still got prom." With that he walked back to his car.  
I was shocked. Did he just say what I think he said? Can't boys take a hint? I turned to see the Cullen siblings glide into the Volvo.  
My mouth was hanging open like a fish over water, and that's when I spotted him. Edward was sitting in his Volvo literally shaking with laughter. And I just knew he was laughing at me.  
This made me so pissed of. I gave gas, making the motor snarl. I am just going to give that silver Volvo a tiny little dent, nothing more. Luckily for him, he drove away, or he would have had to take it to a mechanic. I drove home, mumbling curse words at Edward Cullen and his perfect life, perfect car and perfect family. Ok, it was maybe evil to take it all out on them, but that's what I did, and it helped.

It had gone two months since the first full moon. The others had been no problem. I was really starting to get the hang on these full moons. Maybe I cold get to where they didn't affect me at all if I walked out in the moonlight. That would be one of the most amazing and wonderful things that would ever happen to me. The other most amazing thing that would happen where to never be a mermaid; that I was just a normal human, nothing special. But that would never happen.

Edward hadn't talked to me for two months by the way. He avoided me at all costs. After the first week it was starting to get beyond ridicules. Seriously, it wasn't like I had the plague. I guess he was just an idiot, like the rest of the male population on Forks high school.

Tonight the full moon was kicking in again; it was in the middle of the week though. That sucked, I am always drained the day after.  
Sighing I looked back down at my biology book, we were learning about the human body.  
Interesting in some way, if I had been human at all, why we don't have a class where they learned away information about mythical creatures is unknown to me; the history of the paranormal or something. That is one of the things that actually could have been useful.  
I peeked at Edward through the curtain of hair that constantly hangs between him and me in class. He looked like he was mighty interested in what where said, maybe it wasn't that bad.  
"-the body. Water is a natural and necessary source for use humans, without it we wouldn't survive for longer then tops a week. Our body is 70 % water and water come out of use at all times.  
If you sweat, its water coming out, the spit, its water, tears water. Water is-" I stopped listening, staring down at my hands – or glove covered hands. I hadn't thought of that. Humans are basically water. They are just big blobs of water. I could feel the depression coming down on me in waves – if it had been a normal day, it probably wouldn't have affected me, it would just had been another shock which I hadn't thought about, but it was after all a full moon tonight. I was moody today.  
Tears welled up in my eyes on their own accord. I could never have a boyfriend, I could never have a family – not that I liked kids anyway, I could never kiss a person if I always where going to be afraid to get there spit on my skin. I could never have sex; the guy was bound to sweat.  
I could never do anything because the cursed water where _everywhere_. My hand went up, trembling. "Yes Bella?" Mr, Banner asked.  
My head where down, he couldn't see the meaningless tears threatening to overflow in my eyes. "Mr. Banner-" My voice cracked "can I go out for a minute?" I looked up, he nodded. I rushed out, not caring who saw, not caring to bring my bag. When I was out I ran, head down, not seeing where I was going. When suddenly I crashed with somebody and I went stumbling to the floor. The tears went over as I picked myself up. "I'm sorry." I sniffed, looking at the person, and there in front of me where no other than Rosalie Hale. Lucky me.  
This didn't actually stop the tears from falling. I tried to walk around here. But she grabbed my arm. I looked at here, tears blurring my vision. "Are you all right?" she asked.  
I could see that she really didn't care what my answer was, she just asked out of politeness. But here words made me break down. I pushed her hand of, gently, not to offend here any further. "I-I'm sorry." I said; looking at here. "It's fine." She stated she had this motionless mask on her face; it was like she was trying to hide something.  
"I got to go." I whispered before heading fast down the hall, going to my truck. Luckily I had my keys in my pocket, and with that I just drove home, not caring about my bag or anything.

Soon it was getting dark; I had covered my room in plastic, which was where I was going to be staying. It was supposed to be cloudy tonight so I didn't bother with the rest of the house, I had been lucky with the fact that Charlie where working late tonight, I didn't have to explain about the plastic this way.  
As I was about to lock myself in my room someone rang the doorbell. I looked at the clock, 5 minutes to the moon rice. I ran down stairs and opened the door.  
There were no other then Emmett Cullen standing in all his glory. I saw a car in the driveway and what looked like a blond person inside, Rosalie most likely.  
"Hi. You forgot you backpack at school." He said, handing it to me. I smiled at him, trying not to show that I thought he was a little bit scary and not to forget intimidating.  
"Thank you." We stood there just looking at each other for a moment. "Well, I should get going." He said. "I guess see you guys in school tomorrow." He walked towards the car.  
"Bye! And thanks for the backpack!" I shouted as he got into the car.  
First now I noticed that it wasn't a cloud in the sky and I could almost spot the moon in the horizon.  
I am sure my eyes bulged out of my head before I shut the door, hard and started to run. "no no no NO!" I said as I ran up the stairs, feeling the moonlight filling the rooms behind me as I ran up the stairs. I fell into my room and smacked the door forcefully shut behind me.  
I had earlier covered the opening on the door with duck tape, I hadn't thought I would need it, but know I was grateful I had been a little bit paranoid.  
The weather man had said cloudy. Letting out the breath I was holding I fell down on my bed. I am safe I thought as I glanced around my room, searching for something to do.

Waking up the next day wasn't the best experience I have ever had to say it the easy way. I was tired, hungry, and did I say tired? And I had something that would probably feel like a hangover for a normal human, I had never been drunk, but if I ever got a hangover in the future, it would be like this.  
It felt like I had been sprinting all night drinking alcohol as I ran and not even gotten an hour sleep, not even a minute.  
And the worst part is that my powers where weak. Not that I used to use them much before, but it's still annoying if it actually happened that I needed them.  
I had been to school a countless times before after a full moon, always as pleasant (mark the sarcasm).

Sighing I got out of bed and started on my morning routine.

I parked in a free spot in the parking lot, luckily as far away from the silver Volvo as possible and walked to class. Feeling tired already.  
Sighing I made my way into trigonometry, plastering a fake smile on my face.

Jessica was ecstatic today of course, of all days it had to be today, but I was smiling – or at least trying to – and laughing with here.  
The reason was something about Mike asking here to dinner, I didn't ask more into details, even though I got the howl thing like it had been a film she had seen around a gazillion times.  
But I am happy she is happy, that is the most important thing I guess, _the other most important thing is too shut that idiotic b- _Stop! No inner voice today, I am trying to get myself in a good mood! I got through the first classes with a fairly good mood and managing to answer correct when the teacher asked me about something.  
Walking to lunch I felt really pleased with myself. I was tired, but I was happy.

Jessica where glued to Mikes side at the table, and he didn't seem to mind at all, which were good after all. This made me smile a real smile for the first time that day, finally! He is of my back! No more Mike Newton people! I felt like doing a happy dance in the middle of the cafeteria but dropped it.  
I was already a freak to some people around here, no need to do it worse. So instead I got of the table to get myself a bottle of water.  
As I received the bottle I noticed the moisture on the outside. I was on my way to panicking; I could feel my heart racing faster and faster by the second. Gloves. My mind said. I looked at my hand and sighed before picking up the bottle. Plastic gloves. I need to spend more attention on what I put on in the morning. I grabbed a straw and started to drink it. As I walked back to the table I chanced a look at the Cullen's table.  
Edward was looking at me. He was looking at _me_. My inner voice screamed. I tried to push away the butterflies that started flying and spiralling around in my stomach like the Armageddon where breaking out any minute. He was looking at me with such intensity, like it was a difficult calculus quiz he was trying to work out.

Oh _shit_! He knows something. I quickly looked down and continued to my table, my face beat red, trying to look as normal as possible – however that is.  
The rest of the lunch I did not look over at the Cullen's table at all, I stayed focused on my table, trying to stay awake and trying to look normal.  
But the bell rang, and as I walked to biology I decided that my main task was to stay awake, my second task was to keep my eyes and mind to myself and stay away from Edward Cullen.

I tried my best to stay true to my tasks, but it was a hell of a lot more job then I had thought. This sucks as I pinched my arm, stopping my eyes for now from gliding close. I had about 10 pinch marks on my arm by now. If only I had had some tape. I thought, then it was no way I would have fallen asleep, unless you could sleep with your eyes open.  
That picture made me chuckle before after 2 minutes I was struggling with my own laughter. What can I say, I am over tired and feel like lying down on the floor and sleeping, I am allowed to behave a little strangely. When Mr. Banner sent me a glare I shut up, no need to make the teacher made when I didn't even listen to what he was saying.

I looked around the room trying to find something else to keep my awake. After about 5 minutes I ended up taking of my glows and examining my hands.  
They where pale, way to pale. Well, it isn't really that strange though; I had been wearing glows to school since I started at Forks high. They looked so fragile, like if I touched the book my fingers would break or I would get a wound. I kept on studying them, going through all the events that had lead me up to where I was today. Quiet pathetic, I don't think I ever needed to move, I just overreacted I bet. If I had been right they would have come by now. Stupid stupid stupid! But now I was stuck here anyway so no need to cry over something that is already too late.  
No need to cry over a lost war. I looked at my hands again before taking on the glows feeling more comfortable with them on.  
I glanced around the classroom everybody where taking up their books, I looked at the board hoping he had written what we were supposed to do there, but no.  
I looked over at Edward, he was doing the same. Sighing I turned to him. "What are we doing?" I asked. He looked over at me surprised, probably shocked that I was talking to him, which he had no reason to be at all. He was not talking to me either.  
"You didn't listen?" He asked, I could see a smile playing at his lips. "No." Used like it was the most obvious thing in the world but my blush gave me away.  
"We are reading the chapter about oxidation and reduction reactions." He said, turning back to his book. **(AN: I don't know if this is even a part of biology, but I just did this at my school so I thought that I would throw it in. :) finally something I learned in school became useful. x)) **

I grabbed my book and opened it, finding the chapter. As I opened the page a big yawn escaped my lips.  
Not a good sign. Someone chuckled beside me; I looked over already knowing it was Edward. "Something funny?" I asked. "Are you-" He didn't get any further because I yawned again.  
Holding up a finger tried to get it over with fast. "You where saying?" I asked. "Tired today are we?" He asked.  
I just rolled my eyes at him and turned back to my book starting to read the introduction. My head soon felt heavy and I leaned my elbow on the table and placed my cheek in my hand, leaning and keeping on reading.

After about 2 minutes, someone tapped my shoulder. I looked at Edward. "What?" I asked. "Aren't you going to switch page?" He asked. "Why?" I asked, I had only read the first lines.  
"You have been reading on the same page for about 15 minutes now, but if you are a slow reader by all means, continue." He said, it wasn't said in an amusing way or mocking like some other people would have said it, it was caring and concerned and some emotion I couldn't dedicate.

I could feel my face flame up and I am sure I just invented a new shade of red which count under blushing.  
I didn't blush cute and just over the nose like the high school girls in the chick flicks, I looked like a tomato or a boiled lobster when I was on my worst, and I am sure I was at my worst.  
I turned to my book and switched the page, "Yes, of course." I mumbled and started reading again, but as I came to the fourth line I could feel my head drop, my eyes closing, I fast got it up again – it was like when you fall asleep for a millisecond and your head fall a little before you straighten it up. Very uncomfortable give away about you not having a good night's sleep.  
You could say that I had some big problems keeping my eyes open, know I really got a burn out of the moon night, it's ok to stay awake when you have Jessica that talks constantly beside you, or sit in a lunch room with a lot of friends, but the second the silence come, you get some serious problems. After what seemed like forever I looked at the clock.  
"You got to be kidding me!" I said in a desperate but small voice. "What?" an angelic voice said beside me. It was no way he could have heard me.  
I turned to check if he was talking to me, and he was. What a miracle, third time in one day. "Oh nothing, just think this chapter is so exiting, I go so into the material, if I say something, just ignore me." With that I turned back to my book continuing to pinch my arm and shuffling my feet to stay awake.  
I even considered asking the teacher if he had any tape or maybe duck tape so I could keep my eyes open, but when I was about to ask I understood how stupid it would look and sound. As I got out of class, just wanting to lay down on the ground and sleep I got it into my thick head that now it was time for gym. This is just great was my last thought before gym started and the teacher announced that we were having rugby today.

I walked to my truck, beaten blue and black, feeling like trash.  
As I was about to put the key in the lock someone snatched it from me. I looked to my side, to tire to even be angry. It was Edward, of course, who else? Sighing I reached my hand towards the keys; he wouldn't give them to me. "Can I have my keys?" I asked trying to take them again. He shock is head. "No, you are not driving in your condition." He stated.  
What was this guy mumbling about? "What condition? I'm, perfectly capable of driving myself home." I tried to go around him to get the keys he was holding behind his back, but he just moved his hand. I tried harder after that snatching at the keys from every angle. "I don't know what condition, either you haven't slept for days or you are on drugs, either way, you aren't driving."  
Suddenly Alice came up on the other side of him, taking the keys from his hand. I looked from him to here, relation dawned on me. "No." I said. "Yes."Edward answered.  
I pointed my finger at Alice. "Aren't you supposed to be on my side? We girls have to stick together!" If I hadn't been so tired, I probably wouldn't have been so straight forward – but I didn't really think much before the words came out of my mouth today.  
"Sorry Bella, I would love to be on your side, but in this case I have gone over to the dark side." I tried to give her a glare. "This isn't fair; I don't need a babysitter, or a driver. I am perfectly capable of driving myself home." I said, pointing a finger at him. Edward just took my arm and guided me towards his car. I sat down in the passenger side; he had opened the door for me. I was planning on giving him the silent treatment, he would just hate that. But as he turned on the car suddenly Debussy where flowing through the car. "Claire de Lune?" I asked as he started to drive. He looked surprised that I knew. "You know Debussy?"  
"Well, no not really, I only know my favourites. My mum used to play a lot of classical music around the house."  
"This is one of my favourites too." He muttered. It was silent. "So, what is right?" He asked. "What?"  
"Drugs or no sleeping?" He asked. I had to laugh. "None of them." I said. And then I understood I had to come up with a excuse. He looked at me.  
"What is it then? You aren't just magically this tired; it has to be a reason." He looked at me again before turning to the road. I yawned. "Why does it matter?" I asked. Come on! Excuse... excuse... Damn! My mind was too tired. "I am really curious, usually I know these things about people but I find you really difficult to read." He gave me the puppy eyes – or, I don't think you could call it puppy eyes, he just had this intense stare, I guess I could call it dazzling. He sat his dazzling eyes in you – and like that you where taken.  
"Well..." I began. "You have had sex ED and learned about everything there is to know about the human body, so it shouldn't be so difficult to guess." He was blank, I could see. I sighed. "Something that happens to a girl or woman once a month?" Then he got it, finally! I don't think I could have gone over on women's menstruation pattern without dying of embarrassment.  
"The thing is that I have a lot of pains in my stomach and back at this time of the month and this result in me having problems sleeping."  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry." He said, sounding sincere.  
"Oh please. We are after all both 17 years old, this is not prying, and it is totally normal for women to have pains, I guess you guys don't know much about it so I am not going to push it down your throat. It's only one's a month anyway, I survive. But next time you wonder you know, I can be a little bit grumpy, so if I snap at you, please don't hold it against me."  
The last part of the sentence ended in a yawn again. He was smiling as I looked back at him. "I'm rambling aren't I?" He nodded, smiling. My explanation where maybe a little bit true the scientific way but I could hear the lie in my voice and of reasons that is unclear to me, I think he knew too.  
The car came to a halt, glancing out the window I noticed we had arrive at my house.  
It was raining. I looked around me for my backpack and found it in the back seat. Taking out the umbrella I opened it as I opened the door. Not one drop, I was getting better at this. I looked at Edward and smiled. "Thanks for the ride, even though I didn't need it."

"You're welcome, and I disagree, you did need it; the ride here where practically a big yawn for you." He was smiling his crocked smile as the sentence came to an end. "Yeah yeah, rub it in." was my reply as I waved and closed the door behind me.

As I closed the front door behind me I thought of what had happened today, it ended with Edward.  
I started to smile and a tingling feeling made its way into my stomach. And that is when I understood, I am in love with Edward Cullen and I don't know what he is, but I know one thing, when he finds out what I am – which I know he will sooner or later – he is going to go running, screaming as he go; "Human fish!" or "Man-eater!" some people after all thought that mermaids ate human flesh which is just discussing – I certainly eat normal food even in my mermaid form – or, at least I think... I have never been in my mermaid for more than half an hour so I don't know. A shiver ran down my spine before I went to get myself a bowl of cereal. There are no way I will ever be eating human flesh, even if I end up starving to death.

I was running late as I came storming out the front door running to my truck. Luckily it wasn't raining right now so I did not have to open my umbrella. I knew I would be late whether I hurried or not. School started in 3 minutes. Sighing I started to drive, calming myself down as much as I possibly could.

I got a warning in my first class to never come late again or it would be detention. I can live with that. Standing in lunch line was the same as every other day, me saying yes and ah at the right places as Jessica blabbered on and on about something I did not care to listen too. As I looked around I glanced the Cullen's table, Edward wasn't there.  
I felt my heart sink in my chest as I looked back at my food. "Hey Bella." Jessica said. "Yes?"

"Edward Cullen is looking at you." I could hear the jealousy in her voice but I ignored it as my head wiped around to the Cullen's table. He wasn't there.  
I frowned as I scanned the rest of the cafeteria before my eyes came to rest on an almost empty table. Al empty except for Edward. He smiled as he caught my eye. Then he indicated for me to come over with his index finger. I looked around me, checking if he meant me. I looked back at him, he nodded. "Does he mean _you_?" Jessica snarled. "I guess he needs help with the homework or something."  
I took my tray and started walking over. People where staring like I had grown a second head. I speed up my pace before finally reaching the table. Edward smiled at me.  
"Why don't you sit with me today?" He asked. I sat down, still looking at him. I felt I had to say something so I lifted the apple from my tray and turned it in my hands. "So, what brought this on?" I asked. "Well, I figured, since I am going to hell I might as well do it properly." He stated. I turned it over in my head. "You know I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about."  
"I'm counting on that." He stated. We fell silent. "What are you thinking?" He asked. It took me by surprise; it was a really direct question.  
Some people might even consider the question rude if you haven't known the person for some time, thoughts are after all really personal, no one got the right to snoop around in another humans head. But as the ocation bids itself, I didn't mind.  
"I am trying to figure out what you are actually." I said. His eyes hardened as I said this, turning from its normal beautiful golden liquid to hard topaz stones.  
"I wish you wouldn't try." he said. "My kind is very curious." I said it in a playful tone but realised my error too late. He could take that in the wrong way. I just about told him I was not human. I almost slapped myself in the middle of the cafeteria but stopped before I could, that would be too obvious.  
Edward cocked his head to the side studying me. "And what kind is that exactly?" He asked studying me. I could feel my guard coming up and was about to reply homo sapience when I thought better of it. Why bother? He knew I was something, I knew he was something. But I could already tell that he wasn't going to say anything. If I had to figure it out on my own, then so did he. "What do you think?" I asked. "Certainly not human." he stated.  
I could feel my smile becoming strained so I grabbed the water bottle and turned the lid around. Closing and opening it, over and over again."You got any theories?" He asked. I almost laughed. They weren't actually theories, they were just something I pushed together after late nights of thinking. "They are stupid." I stated, ending the discussion, but he didn't want any of that. "Come on, wont you tell me?" He tilted his head to the side and that adorable crocked smile came to his face. I almost swooned. "Ehh... What?" I asked in a daze. "Won't you tell me one little theory?" He was dazzling me, that cheater! "Radioactive spiders?" He frowned.  
"No."  
"And no kryptonite?"  
"No." He said again. I sighed. "Dang." I stated before turning back to my bottle.  
"I would have thought you would be more creative than that." I huffed.  
"Then what are your theories?" He didn't answer. "That's all superhero stuff right?" He asked. I nodded, not feeling the need to answer verbally.  
"What if I'm not the hero, what if I'm the bad guy?" I studied his face, he was dead serious. "You're not. That's just the charade, you use that to push people away from you, but you're not. You may think so yourself, but you're not." This I was 100 % sure of. He had started shaking his head before I even was done with the sentence. "You're wrong." The silence came over us. "So..." I said looking at him, putting the bottle down. "Were friends now?" He tilted his head from one side to the other. "Friends..." It was like he tasted the words. "Yes, we can always try." He said after a while. Before suddenly out of the blue came a small smile. He looked over my shoulder. "Your boyfriend thinks I am being impolite to you, he is debating whether to come over here and break us up or not."  
"I don't know what you are talking about, but I'm sure you're wrong." I stated.  
"No, most people are easy to read." He looked back at me, frowning, I liked the smile better. "Except for you though." He said. Now it was my turn to look confused.  
"What?" I said. "You are very difficult to read." he said again. I bet it had something to do with the fact that I was a giant half-human fish, but I didn't say that of course.  
"I wonder why that is?" he said, getting a faraway look on his face. Going into he's own mind. "Well, I bet it's just you not being observant enough, I am just me." He came back to reality as I said this. Then the bell went of. I jumped in my seat. I hadn't been watching the time, but if the clock was right – something it probably where, I had been talking to Edward for 45 minutes. That's quite a long time, for someone who isn't my mother. I have never really been able to communicate with people, but it seems I don't have this problem with Edward, that bubbly feeling of being in love came over me again before I tried to push it aside.  
"Shall we go to biology?" I asked, standing up from my seat, tray in hand. He did the same. I noticed he hadn't eaten one bit of his food though, strange. I added that to my mental list – the phenomenon's of Edward Cullen. It's going to be a world seller. He smiled following me to the trash cans before we walked to biology.

I walked over the parking lot and started unlocking my truck. It was raining and I was frowning in concentration. I had the umbrella over my head, but even then I had difficulty keeping dry. It was one of the worst days so far. But as I climbed into my truck I spotted Edward Cullen in his Volvo, leaning back in his seat eyes closed. He was smiling lightly and I think I spotted him tapping a slow rhythm with his fingers on the steering-weal.  
One second of distraction was all it took for water to drip from the umbrella to the bar skin between my glove covered hand and the jacket which had separated. I dropped the umbrella to the ground and jumped to the passenger seat before starting to wipe away the wet spot with the towel I always had in my truck. I looked up at the Volvo again, right as the car slide out of the spot. I smacked my fist into the dashboard. Damn! I could not be in love with Edward! He distract me, I can't stay in focus when I am around him. But the bubbly feelings were still there, to my big irritation.

I didn't close the door; I just sat there watching people running out in the rain to their cars, laughing with their friends as raindrops soaked them to the skin.  
I was not going to slid into depression right now, there was no use crying over a lost war. Smiling a sad smile I took in the umbrella closed the door and drove of.

Look at this stuff, isn't it neat.  
Wouldn't you think my collections complete?  
Wouldn't you think I'm the girl, the girl who has everything?  
Look as this trove, treasures untold,  
How many wonders can one cavern hold?  
Looking around here you think, sure, she got everything.

I looked at Areal swim around on the screen. Singing about how she wanted to be human, be a part of that world. I understood here though; despise the fact that she was totally mermaid, no half fish. But none the less, I understood here. On my way home from school I had gone by Angela and borrowed the little mermaid of here. I understood it so much better now, not very strange though.

As the film neared the end I started to cry. She got after all that struggle everything she wished for. I envied here in a way. But the mermaid thing wasn't all hate, some things I liked, and some things I didn't. Like drinking water out of mid air, that was pretty cool.  
Maybe I too, one day would get my - oh so beautiful fairytale ending. With a guy I could be myself with. A picture of Edward and his crocked smile came to my mind. I could feel my face going beat red. Stop that! He didn't like you! Secondly, we were just friends. _For now. _The little voice in my head said. I ignored it, not that coming with a snappy comment would help anything either.

As the day came to an end, I was finishing for the night, I found myself singing part of your world from the little mermaid. I really need to ask Angela if I can borrow it longer.  
And with that I crawled into bed, curling up under the sheets.

EPOV:

I climbed in Bella's window, closing it behind. Rosalie and the rest of them would be angry, mostly Rosalie, but none the less, she would find a way to get the others on the wagon too. I don't understand what dragged me in about this girl. But at some point I understood that I no longer could stay away from here, and now we where friends as she had put it. She was too stubborn for her own good, and something more than human. She shied away from water like the plague and always wore those horrid sweaters and sweat pants. And she was so careful. She wasn't like other teenagers here age. She wasn't playful and reckless like the rest of them, only following there hormones, it was like she had gone through much more than a teenager here age should. Sighing I went over to the old rocking chair in the corner. Wondering again why it was her there in the first place.  
I just sat there, watching her sleep, taking in the aroma of the sea and the freesias and strawberry smell I could barley dedicate underneath the smell of the sea. I had never smelled anything like it. I closed my eyes and breathed in and out. "Edward..." I heard from the bed. I had gotten used to her sleep talking buy now, but every time she said my name it felt like my dead heart were doing jolts in my chest, after 91 years of stillness and silence.

"The girl who has everything..." Bella sighed out in her sleep before rolling over. That was strange, never heard here say anything like that before, and she have said some pretty strange things in her sleep.  
She was the strangest human I had ever come across. I thought as I closed my eyes.

I just sat there all night until daybreak started to approach. I gave her a final look before hopping out here window, wondering what wonders this mystery girl would bring into my life on the upcoming day. But I knew for sure, I could no longer stay away from here, Alice had been right, again.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Heading for a Cliff **

Friends. We have been friends for one week. I couldn't help the smile as it crept up on my face – I bet I looked like the Cheshire cat, but I just couldn't find it in me to wipe it of, after all, we were friends.

It was Monday today. It has been one week of friendship with Edward, since we decided to 'try it' as Edward so pointedly put it. What was even more wonderful was that we were doing great. The conversations with Edward in biology was the light point of my day – except for lunch where he always sat with me at the same table as we had declared ourselves to be friends – it have become a normal routine. The first two days Jessica had been asking question upon questions, but after that I guess we turned into old news because now she didn't bother me about it.

I waved at Jessica and the others as I drove into the parking lot and swung into a spot.

I walked out of the car umbrella in hand and hood up as usual. For those who didn't like me on this school – which there were plenty of – I have become umbrella girl, or gloves, mostly gloves though, but to be totally honest; I don't really give a damn.

As I looked around the parking lot my eyes stopped as they came in contact with topaz, I smiled and waved. He sent me a crocked smile but I didn't have time to go over and say hi properly before the bell went of and I had to hurry to class. I gave him one last glance before walking through the doors to begin the dreadful school day.

I didn't pay attention in any of my classes. My mind was occupied in other directions.

The last week had been wonderful to say the least – Edward was easy to talk to, he was considerate and he always made me calm and made me feel safe for once – made me feel normal. But the weekend had given me a chance to think. Edward was something different – something not human.

And to say I was curios as to what would be an understatement.

But at the same time – do I really want to know? Do I really want the friendship to come tumbling down because of my own curiosity? The questions continued to flow my mind, and I didn't come back down to earth before Jessica and I walked into the cafeteria and I saw Edward sitting at the usual table; smiling at me.

I smiled back before heading over to the lunch line. The answer was simple I thought as I grabbed a bottle of water and a salad – I will not risk the friendship, I will not pry, if he want to say it to me, he can, if not, well then it's his choice. I turned to Jessica as I realised this, and I remembered I actually had to talk to her.. "Hey Jess, I'm-" She cut me of with a smile. "I know, Edward Cullen is waiting!" She said it in the most dramatic and ridiculous way possible. I couldn't help but laugh. I pushed her towards her usual table. With that we parted ways and I walked over to Edward.

"Hi." I said as I sat down next to him, he smiled at me as always. "Jessica tried to interrogate you again?" I laughed. "Well, surprisingly no. Actually, I think she is happy to get rid of me, I'm suspicious she was afraid I would steal Mike away from her." I heard him start to laugh at that. After a week he had already understood that Mike wasn't my favourite person on the planet. I gave him my most innocent look. He smiled at me again, amusement written clear on his face.

I plucked up my fork and started pushing the salad around. I looked over at him and saw he was fiddling with the lied of a coca cola. What was fantastic about being with Edward was that neither of us had the urge to fill every moment with mindless talk for it not to be awkward.

I turned back to my salad, pierced a cucumber and brought it into my mouth. But the second I started chewing I almost spit it back out but caught myself in the last moment. I swallowed it down without chewing it once more. My nose scrunched up a the after taste. I put the fork on the tray and pushed the salad a little bit away from me. Instead I grabbed the water bottle and turned it over in my hands, watching the bobbles go from one side to the other and my gloves becoming wet from the dew on the outside. "Are you not hungry?" I herd the velvet voice say beside me. I looked up from my bottle at him. "Lost my appetite." I stated. As every other lunch my eyes flashed down to his untouched food, I never mentioned it though, if he wanted to starve himself through school, by all means do.

"Had a good weekend?" I asked, opening my water bottle and looking at the liquid inside – averting my eyes from his tray as I debated whether I should drink or not.

"It was fine really, Emmett and I went camping in the Goat Rocks Wilderness." I smirked at this.

"I'm starting to feel lazy compared to you and your siblings." He gave me a disbelieving look as I shook my head in amusement and laughed at his bemused expression.

When there were just about 10 minutes left of the lunch break I headed to the toilet saying I would meet him in class.

I looked at myself in the mirror and made a face. But quickly wiped it away as the door opened and in came no other then Rosalie Hale in all of her glory – don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the gal, it's just that she has this vibe to her, like she just want to bite my – or anybody else's head of.

"Hello Rosalie." I said, feeling it was appropriate to be polite since I was a friend of her brother. She nodded to me and leaned against the wall, looking at me. A tense silence settled over the room. Trying to ignore it I started putting my hair up in a bun. Satisfied with the result I headed for the door but was stopped by a cold voice. "Really think you can fool us?" I breathed in and out before I turned to her, deciding to man up and look her in the eye. "What are you talking about?" I retorted, feeling vary of the way she was addressing me.

"Your little act isn't working as well as you would hope. We know you are not what you give yourself out to be." I could feel my expression harden.

"Well, that makes two of us, don't it? I know you aren't exactly what you make yourself out to be either." This time she was the one to harden. "There are 7 of us and 1 of you."

Oh no, she did not just say that.

"You don't actually know anything about me, do you? For all you know I could wipe you out in seconds." I went in bellow the belt, I know it isn't fair, but I don't think a person can ever win a fight with Rosalie Hale and not go bellow the belt. She now defiantly look murderous and I almost regretted making that comment – almost. I'm not an evil person and I hate arguing, I'm quiet, and peace making – but, desperate times require desperate solutions.

"Don't you dare threaten me." she hissed. She looked angry, murderous, vary and scared. I looked at her regretfully as I saw that she in fact was afraid of something – something I could only guess to be her family and there safety. "I just think I did." With that I turned on my heel and walked out, and to biology where I constantly tried to figure out why Rosalie had decided to attack me in the girls bathroom. I could see that Edward also wasn't in the best mood, and talking were absent during the boring class of Mr. Banner.

The bad feeling in the pit of my stomach wouldn't go away as I walked with Jessica to the cafeteria the next day. I tried to ignore it – even when Alice had tried to ask me questions about my earlier life in my second class, but I just couldn't find it in me to be rude to her, so I amused her – by lying to her; it's not like I can tell her the truth, but even then; when my mind were occupied with trying to figure out decent explanations, the feeling wouldn't go away

.

It could be one of those false feelings, like the first day I got here, but of reasons unknown to me, I just knew it wasn't one of those.

I grabbed a slice of pizza and a bottle of lemonade before heading over to Edwards table. As usual I gave him a small smile – he too did that, but I did not reach his eyes. The bad feeling came charging back at lightning speed as I sat down next to him. Without saying anything I lifted the slice of pizza and took a bite. Like with lunch and dinner yesterday, not to forget breakfast today I didn't get down more then a few bites before it felt like I was on my way to hurl. I sat it down half eaten and took of the lid on the lemonade instead. I pushed the straw I took from my backpack into the liquid and started downing it, I got about half of it down before I too, sat that down; not able to bear the taste, or even the smell of it.

I shuddered and sat back, trying to ignore the tension between us – which had never been there before. I peeked over at Edward and saw he was watching me – or, correction, watching my gloves. "What?" I asked, tucking my hands into my lap, looking at him fully now. He looked at my face, and then I just knew, that something was not right. "Why are you wearing the gloves?" He asked, looking down at my hands. I sighed before taking of the gloves and putting them on the table, showing him my pale hands.

"Now they are of." I stated. "Do you always wear them?" He continued – pushing the subject.

"No, only at school." He seemed to consider this. "Why?" He asked again, and even though the question were simple, it struck a nerve.. "Because I have bacteriophobia."

He looked at me with suspicion written all over his face and in a split second decision, I decided to strike back. "Why don't you and your family ever eat anything?" And with that said, he withdraw completely. "We are on a special diet."

Luckily the bell went of and we headed for biology, a new tension build up between us.

I came walking out of gym the next day after the disaster of a lunch, and again were thinking about the way the tension just kept on building between Edward and I. Today were no difference from the others.

Today at lunch Edward had tried to ask me about the umbrella, about my clothes, about everything that gave me away for being something else then a human, about appearance.

It pissed me of to no end, but I tried to ignore it the best I could – isn't that what friends do?

My train of thought stopped as I winced when I stepped down on my foot, as usual after gym I was beaten into a plump, the only difference today were my foot – which I managed to make Mike step on during basketball – and the weather. Which made me stop in my tracks towards my truck.

The gym building had a roof with a few tables by the entrance to the wardrobes, outside of the shelter of the roof, there were a massive storm going on. Even before I took up my umbrella I knew there was no use in even trying. I sighed as I watched the others run over to there cars laughing as there hair was blown all over the place.

I walked over to the side and sat down, sighing as I did. I didn't have a choice but to wait. I leaned my head against the wall behind me and closed my eyes; trying to relax.

Suddenly I felt something touch my shoulder; I jumped – my hand flew to my heart and I looked up to see what had touched me. The first thing I saw were a mop of bronze, then a pair of topaz eyes. "Bella?" He asked. I breathed in and out as I sat down again. "Damn you scared me." I said as I tried in vain to calm my racing heart from jumping out of my chest. He knelt down in front of me and looked me up an down, like he was searching for something. I checked myself. "Is there something wrong?" I asked, starting to get worried, he ignored me.

"Has something happened?" He asked me in a weird tone I could not understand. His face showed that he was worried, stressed and another emotion I couldn't identify. "No, nothing has happened." I said, puzzled by his question. "Are you feeling ill?"

"No, no, I'm fine." I stated as I got to my feet. This time it was his turn to look confused. "Then why are you sitting her?" He asked, looking me up and down like he suspected me to run or scream or just fall apart. It could be an easy answer, but as this is my life we are in, there are no easy answers. "Eh..." I looked away from his face, and tried to make my mind work faster then what was humanly possible – and fore once faith decided not to screw me up and I got an answer. "It's raining – or more storming," I gestured towards the hurricane going on a few feet away. "and I don't feel comfortable with driving home when the weather is like this, so I decided to just wait a little while and then head home if the storm calms down." He looked at me disbelieving – like the next thing I was going to say were 'and then I am going to go to marshmallow and jelly-bean land and live happily ever after'.

"So you are going to sit here until it calms down?" He asked as though he didn't actually believe me. "Yes."

He raked his hands through his hair and walked around in a circle before looking at me again.

"You are aware of the fact that the weather wont stop today?" I looked up at the sky and saw just how dark and loamy it looked. "Do not look like it.." I said, looking back at him and crossing my arms over my chest at the same time. "So, you were just going to sit here?" He asked, this time like I was missing a major point, this just made me angry.

"Well, obviously I can't drive in this kind of weather. I'm from Phoenix! We don't usually get this kind of water fall, it's like the sky has cracked upon and a tornado decided to swipe at the same time!" His face softened at my words.

"You want me to drive you?" When he asked I almost forgot why I was under the roof in the first place. He took my hand and started to lead me but I stopped. "I can't." I said, looking at the rain.

I could get over to my car, fine and dry if I was able to use my powers, but I couldn't do that with him here. He looked at me puzzled again. "My truck, I can't leave it." I stated to try and get an excuse in. "The others are in the car, I'll just ask them to drive behind to your place and they can get me at the same time." I was really starting to panic now, I had no more good excuses. He tried to lead me out of the shelter of the roof again.

"I can't." I said again, not coming up with anything more to say than that. "What do you mean?"

I swallowed. "I don't want to get wet." The lie was evident in my voice.

I watched as his eyes hardened a little bit. "Why?" he continued.

And smack, what he was trying to do hit me straight in the face as though he had slapped me with his bare hands. He was trying to make me say things about me, I had promised myself that I would not do this to him. I felt a sickening feeling settling in the pit of my stomach and I could see the way I had ignored the truth over the past days, trying to patch together a friendship which was already singing on it's last song.

"Why is it important?" I hissed through clenched teeth. Silence fell over us.

He, at my words – turned angry, even though he had no reason to if you ask me. "Can't you just answer the question?" I took as step back. "I already answered, I don't want to get wet."

"Don't want to or can't?" Apparently, he wasn't letting this go, and before I thought it through, it just snapped

"You know, this is the last straw." I stated. He looked taken back.

"You and your family are unbelievable, you people have been trying to make me talk the whole week, I'm putting my foot down. You are so eager to press me for information, let's turn to you shall we?"

I made a wild grab in the dark as I drew out the first thing I could remember on my Cullen list.

"And just to your information, I know that all of them are sitting out there listening to this idiotic conversation – oh don't look so surprised, I know more then you will ever do," He looked startled and I knew I hit the nail straight on, "I am fucking tired of listening to you and the rest of your family pushing me for information you will never get! You try to get information about me with dirty tricks, you haven't thought that that may just be unfair? Or idiotic? Have you even thought this through? I know you are something and you know I am something, I don't know what you are, and you don't know what I am, for all you know I could whip you out with a flick of my fingers. So I suggest you stop this right now, or I may just do something I regret. Stay away from me, don't talk to me, don't look at me, don't bother me." I was near screaming as I pointed at him. "And to the rest of you, the same goes for you." I turned my angry eyes on Edward which flinched just a little bit under my gaze. "And you, you just ruined the entire friendship deal we had going her. " With that I pushed him towards the rain. "Go." I hissed. He looked at me for a few seconds before turning on his heel and walking away. The last thing I heard before the tears started falling were the car disappearing out of the parking lot.

APOV:

I watched as Edward ran of, not even caring to give us a glance. Without saying anything I jumped in the front seat and drove of, he need time on his own, we standing here wont give him that.

It lay a tense silence over the car. Suddenly Rose sat up straight. "We need to kill her of." she said. "What are you talking about?" Emmett asked, looking at his mate with doubtful eyes.

"Can't you see it? She knows something about us, more then we probably would guess. And you know what we know? Nothing! We don't know anything!" I speed up, trying to block of Roses highly irritating voice.

The whole family sat in the living room looking at each other. Edward were the only one standing, everybody could see that this really had upset him in a way non of us could understand. I sighed as I leaned against Jasper. "It's obvious what we need to do. We just kill her of in her sleep and move on to a different location. It's simple, it's clean, I can do it if non of you can." Rose was still going on about killing of Bella, even though non of us really agreed.

"That's not an option." Edward hissed, glaring daggers at Rosalie. "I agree with Edward, Rose – we do not kill innocent people. There are a reason why we live as we live." I already knew Carlisle would agree with Edward, even without my power I could have guessed that.

"She is exposing us! It's the only thing to do!" she was now standing, trying to stare Edward down. "I agree." I shot up from my seat and stared at Jasper. "What?" I asked. "Darling, I am not putting you in danger." with that Emmett was on the wagon as well as he agreed with Jasper, I ignored them both and walked over to Edward, standing next to him, I looked at them. "Have you guys even thought of this?" They looked at me like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Have you thought of how this is for her?" This caught them by surprise.

"We don't know what she is, but I am almost one hundred percent sure that it - what ever _it_ is - made her leave her mom and come here. It's painfully obvious that she can't get wet for some reason. How you thought of how that is for her Jasper? Rose, how would it be for you if you had to move to Hawaii to protect your family for reasons which only you knew? And you know one more thing, I don't even think her family knows of this thing that has happened to her. Do you think Charlie would let her even move her if he knew that she could not go near water? Emmett, what would it be like for you if you were all alone during the change? How do you think it would be for you if there was no on there to support you in your newborn state?" They were all silent as I stomped my foot and looked at Edward – feeling very much like a peculiar child. "Edward is right, killing here is no option when she is only protecting herself. We are the once pushing her for things she probably can't talk to anybody about – and we demand her to answer us. Have you guys thought of how difficult that must be for her?" Rosalie was insanely furious where she sat. "It's not the same Alice, you can't compare whatever she is to being a vampire." I looked at her, thinking about something to say to her which could even reach into her conscience. "No, I can't. For all we know, it may just be worse."

BPOV:

I stumbled over to the wall and slide down onto the cold grown. I couldn't stop the tears. I leaned forward and gripped my skull, trying to stop the breakdown.

I shook my head as my body ached of hurt and betrayal. "Damn." I mumbled. "This hurts more then it should." I gave my hair a final painful drag before lifting my head.

On shaky legs I stood up and lifted my backpack, with palm pointed up into the sky I made an invisible barrier with the power to control water around me which separated me and the rain and walked out in the storm.

I jumped in my truck and leaned my head back. Rage boiled up in me again, I hit the steering wheel with my fist before leaning my head on it. The tears dripping onto the floor by my feet.

Still hurt and sad, I drove of.

Charlie and I ate in silence. Or Charlie still ate, I had eaten the fish, but the rest I could not force myself to swallow. I could feel him look at me. "Bella?" My eyes went to him, I tried to smile but could feel it turn into a grimace on my face. "Has something happened?" I looked away, feeling the tears prickle my eyes. I shook my head and smiled a sad smile. "No dad, I'm fine. Just tired, that's all." He didn't look convinced, I wouldn't be if I were in his shoes. "You know you can talk to me, right?" He gave me a stern look. "Yeah dad." He nodded. Silence fell over us again. I looked away, out on the rain, but was drawn to him again as he started talking. "Are you having... boy problems?" he almost chocked it out. I couldn't stop the laugh which came at his feeble attempt of making me talk about his biggest fear. "Dad, do you really want to talk about boys?" I could almost see him shake his head before he had even started moving. "Well, if it is, then I want you to know that, whoever he is, and how wonderful he might seem, he is not worth it. They never are." I nodded my head. "I know dad. But thank you, it was nice to hear it." As always when it came to emotions, it just turned awkward so he nodded and we lapsed into silence again.

I fell down onto my bed, but I couldn't find it in me to fall asleep. The aching feeling deep within me just would not go away. I closed my eyes and forced my breathing to steady out and my body to relax. And the last thing I saw before falling into an uneasy sleep were the Cullen's, all standing there in my head, looking at me with piercing eyes.

I woke up the next morning tired and worn out. There had been a lack of sleeping on my part, and my feet were heavy as I made my way to the kitchen to eat breakfast. Charlie had already left for work so it was only me. I took out the cereal, and poured on milk before sitting down by the kitchen table and taking a spoon full into my mouth.

But as it came in contact with my taste buds it came out again and I couldn't help the gagging that came with the taste. I hurried over to the sink and rinsed my mouth out as fast as humanly possible.

When I finally got the taste out of my mouth I turned to the table sighing as I grabbed some paper to dry of the mess. I cleaned up the bowl and dropped eating the rest of the cereal.

When I was done with the bowl I turned to the carton of milk. I lifted it and looked at the expiration date. It didn't go out in another few weeks. Another sigh escaped my lips and I walked over to the refrigerator and opened it to put the milk inside. As I was on my way to turn something caught my attention. I looked at it and saw some cleaned fish. I looked at it and felt my hunger spike.

Without thinking much I took it out and sat down on the table, taking a bit of the raw fish in my mouth. And surprisingly – it was better than the cereal.

I ignored everything else and started eating the fish eagerly. As I finally felt full I sat back and looked at the half eaten plate. "This is wrong in so many ways." I stated.

I bit my lip – considering it - before going over an finding a box and putting the rest of the fish inside. I brought a fork and put it in my back pack before I could reconsider the entire thing.

I was walking to my first class when I saw him. Edward was leaning on his locker in the hallway. Our eyes locked for a fraction of a second before I hurriedly looked away. Ignoring the star I could feel at the side of my face as I made a curtain of hair between us.

In government I had Alice in my class, but I tried to ignore both her and Jessica as she was staring and Jessica were trying to make me talk about why I was in a foul mood today.

Unfortunately – when you do not look forward to something, time has a tendency to go faster, so within no time, Jessica and I where heading for cafeteria. "Jess?" I asked as we were half way there, me with the umbrella of course. "Yes?" She looked at me. "Do you mind if I sit with you guys today?" She looked taken back. "Why? Aren't you sitting with Edward?"

Now she was just after something to gossip about. "Well no, it's not like he is my boyfriend – I don't have to sit with him everyday, and secondly; we had a disagreement so I doubt very much that he want to sit with me after that."

"Of course you can." She was smiling but I could see beneath her mask, and I saw she was not happy. I knew the only reason why she was unhappy were because Mike always tried to talk to me when I was there, I would never say yes to go on a date with him, and me being interested in him would probably never happen, but I guess Jessica wanted to take her precautions.

She tried to press me for more information about Edward, but I just ignored her attempts.

We sat down with the others, Jessica next to Mike, me next to Jessica with Angela on the other side. They all gave me strange looks, except Lauren, she just glared – some things just remained unchanged. I gave them my most convincing smile before turning to my backpack, rummaging through for my lunch. They turned back to there usual chatter as I took up the box with fish. Taking the fork I started eating, reading in my biology book at the same time.

Suddenly silence fell over the table. I looked up. "Bella, what are you eating?" Jess asked.

"It's fish." I stated. "Ewh..." Lauren said, like it was the weirdest thing in the world.

"Seriously Lauren, can you sink any lower. This fish, is a thousand times more healthy then the pizza slice you are munching on – just because you decided to not care what you put in your body do not mean I don't. Secondly, I like to know where my food have come from – and were it has been on the way to become my lunch." I don't know why I suddenly turned so angry, maybe it was the lack of sleep or just the Cullen's eyes on me, but non the less, I couldn't stop myself.

Lauren just huffed and looked away. I couldn't help the eye roll as I turned back to my food and the book and in a 30 seconds time the animated talking were going about as usual.

Biology came, and I dreaded it. I kept a stiff upper lip as I walked through the door when the bell rang through the corridors. He was already there, of course. I tried to control my emotions as I sat. "Bella?" I heard him say. I ignored him. "Bella, please, look at me." My head snapped to him. He looked sad, really sad actually. "Yes?" I said, trying to hold my enforced composure.

"Bella, I'm sorry, I didn't-" I cut him of there. "You don't need to say anything. We both know that the only reason why we were friends in the first place were because both of us wanted to know but non of us wanted to revile. It had to fall apart sooner or later." He looked positively mortified and maybe a little bit hurt, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out why. With that I turned away from him and to Mr. Banner who were starting the lecture.

Before he had a chance to talk to me I fled the room and headed for gym. "Bella?" I heard but I ignored it as I speed up to avoid him and any other Cullen's which tried to corner me.

As I made a turn I spotted Alice. She was looking at me.

I searched the crowd, looking for someone I knew – as I looked around me I spotted Edward again and Emmett in a corner – both looking my way, and there; among all of the other students, a saving angel, Mike.

I would normally not go to this kind of desperate measures but this was an emergency.

I ran up to him.

"Hi Mike, mind if I walk with you?" He perked up and Alice and the rest of the Cullen's disappeared in the crowd, and as they did I breathed a sigh of relief.

It was now one week since I confronted the Cullen's. Wednesday today, again. The weekend had been a silent affair. I had been stuck home in the house because of crappy weather – Charlie had been either at work or home watching football.

Friday had been hell, I was running around avoiding the Cullen's as the plague. I had been walking in the hall with Jessica when suddenly Edward had grabbed my arm and turned me towards him. Jessica, of course, stopped and looked between him and me as we looked each other up and down. "Bella, please let me explain." he had pleaded. Looking at me, begging me to understand something I did not. I had pushed him away and answered. "There is nothing to explain." I had grabbed Jessica's arm and lead her away. Let's just say that rumours had been floating around school since then and Jessica would not leave me alone.

Monday and Tuesday had been something entirely different. Non of the Cullen's had tried to talk to me, they had just left me alone – and I was grateful beyond beliefs. They no longer talked to me, did not approach me, nothing. Which left time for me to think about other things. For example my food habits. I looked down at the fish in the box, I had been eating fish for a week now and still I didn't manage to get down anything else without gagging it up again. I could force it down, which I had tried on Saturday with a piece of chocolate – since this was one of my favourite candies before I came to Forks, half an hour later it came up again and I ended up sitting in the bathroom, hurling for an hour. Since then it had gone in fish. And to top it of I have been having something equal to growing pains in my legs since Sunday, and it just would not go away. Sighing I stood up as the bell rang, trying to push down the numb pain in my legs.

I walked to biology and sat down. Finally being able to rest my legs a little bit.

Edward was there as usually, but I ignored him – just as I did every day. I leaned down and took up a water bottle. Lifting my back pack I took out a straw and took a sip. My nose scrunched up at the taste. I rummaged through my back pack and took out two small bags of salt. I ripped them open and put them into the bottle before shaking it so that it would mix with the water properly.

I took another sip and smiled before pushing my back pack to the floor. I continued to sip on the water.

I glanced around the room as I sat there, waiting for Mr. Banner. My eyes came in contact with topaz. I hastily looked away. "Bella?", I turned slowly back towards him. Putting up my guard. One of my eyebrows went up. "Yes?" I took another sip of my water. "Are you drinking salt water?"

I looked at my bottle and realised that I actually were, in fact, drinking salt water. I put the lid on the bottle and put it in my back pack. "No." I said and turned away from him. And the only thing I now had left thinking of were the growing pains and the fact that I had actually drunk salt water without giving it second thought.

Gym was over with and I hurried to my car and was home in no time, and out of the way of the Cullen's stares. I walked into the kitchen and the first thing I spotted were a note on the table. I sat down on a chair and started reading.

_Hi Bella. _

_Harry wanted me to come fishing with him and I could not say no. Just call if there are something you need, or if you want me to come home. We will be home on Sunday afternoon. _

_Love Dad_

I had to laugh at how long he probably used on writing 'Love Dad' at the end, I could just see him, sitting here debating whether or not to write it.

I sighed before throwing the note back on the table and heading to the bathroom to take a bath.

I looked at myself in the mirror. Surprisingly enough, I had not lost any weight, even though I have been living on fish for the past week. I turned away and walked up into the bathtub.

I lay back, eyes closed. But as I lay there I got a feeling there were something wrong.

My eyes flew open and I sat up. What I saw made me almost scream in surprise and shock, but the only thing that really came out were a weird chocking sound. The tail has grown. It has _grown_.

I sat mortified as I watch the thing go over the edge of the bathtub and disappeared out of sight. I leaned over and was surprised at how easy it felt, and another choking sound came as I saw the end fin had become bigger. I tried to move it, and it moved as though it was nothing but air.

I pushed myself out of the bathtub and it moved as though I was half eel or snake instead of a half fish.

I made a grab for the towel, but I stopped mid air. There, between my fingers were swim skin. I turned my hand over to look at the backside and saw scales cover some of my hands and going up some of my arm. Starting to feel shaken I looked myself up and down and was mortified when I discovered I had scales here and there, covering small patches of my skin. I snaked over to my toilet bag and drew out a small pocket mirror, opening it I couldn't even breath at what met my gaze. There I was, but by my temples, over on eyebrow and on one cheek I had some scales. Maybe three or four together at the different places. I looked at myself again before closing the mirror and laying down, curling up into a ball. Laying there, thinking on my life, and as I did it made me wonder why this happened to me, why it had to be me.

I am truly alone I thought as I looked around me in the biology classroom. Friday today,. Finally. No more Cullen's for two days. No more going out in the rain, no more anything.

I couldn't help the smile as I tapped my fingers on the table as the time went by in a snail's pace.

The second the bell rang I was out of my seat and heading for the parking lot. We had already been informed that Coach Clapp were sick today, so there was no P.E.

I jumped in my tuck and started it up, but the second I did I knew something was wrong.

It was a sound. A weird vibrating-banging sound. I hastily turned it of and leaned my head back thinking about what it could be. But after 5 minutes I gave up. Sighing I tried to think of the money I had spared up. It wasn't much, and I don't have money for a mechanic. Suddenly a picture came to my mind of a guy with russet skin and a kind smile. "I can call Jacob!" I said to myself as I took out my cell phone and went to Bill and Jacobs house phone. "Hello?" Jacob answered after two rings.

"Jacob? It's Bella." I said, smiling. "Bella! What do I ow this pleasure?" I laughed at his feeble attempt of being polite. "Can't I just call to make small talk?" I teased. "Well, yes, but I got a feeling this isn't that kind of call." I smiled even bigger at his comment. "Well, the thing is, would you mind particularly much if I asked you took take a look at my truck? There is something wrong with it and I can't take it to a mechanic, so I thought if I had a mechanic type of friend which could help me..." this time it was his turn to laugh as I trailed of. "Yeah, sure. Just come by when you want."

"Ok, I'll come right over then." We said our goodbyes and I started the truck up. It wouldn't start before on the third try – luckily there was no one left in the parking lot, and I headed to Jacobs, the sound making me more and more worried as I neared the boarder of La Push.

I saw the La Push sign and speed up, but I almost lost control of the car as a stench hit me straight in the face over the ventilation system. I pushed down on the breaks and stopped the car, trying to breath without gagging on my own spit. It reeked of wet dog and something else which made me want to run away from her as fast as my legs could carry me.

**The Chapter is being replaced on a later date!**

**Love Anqeole ^^ **


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: In Free Fall **

_It reeked of wet dog and something else which made me want to run away from here as fast as my legs could carry me._

I breathed in and out as I tried to get used to the horrible smell. After 3 solid minutes of this I was able to breath normally but the stench was still there.

Turning to my truck I tried starting it up but it just made weird rumbling sounds. After the third try I started to panic.

"Come on, come on, come on." I mumbled as I continued to try.

After the 5th try I smacked my head against the headrest on the seat. "Damn it!" I hit the steering-wheel as I tried to calm myself down. Breathing in an out in a calming way I tried one more time, it made some weird sounds and some kind of deep rumbling, a lowed bang which made me jump in my seat before finally to my relief, it started. I breathed out and continued on my way to Jacob in a slow pace, hoping it would not break down before I got there.

As I drove through La Push I observed the small town. After what I have heard from the guys at school, the rez. is kind of private, and there were some cool people – as Jessica put it – and some not so cool. Basic underline, some people were by Forks standards normal and some not.

As I drove down the road towards Jacobs house I did not see anything peculiar, and there were no strangeness which could take my worry away from my truck and if I actually would reach Jacobs house with all of me intact.

But still, any strangeness could impossibly be worse then my own.

Finally I turned into Jacobs driveway and killed the engine. It wasn't raining so I didn't bother with bringing the umbrella as I jumped out.

As I closed the truck door Jacob came running out of the house and over to me swooping me up in a hug. "Hey Bells." He said as He sat me down. I opened my eyes and saw straight into a broad chest. I looked up, looked up some more and finally came to his face. "Oh shit, Jacob. What do they feed you down here?" He just laughed and gave me a punch on the shoulder. I winced, he didn't notice though. "So, what do you think is the problem?" He asked, tilting his head to the truck.

I felt my face going a little bit grimmer as my brain caught up with what I actually were doing her. "I have no idea. I kind of hoped you could tell me that. I am not exactly interested in cares, it's not like I can't change a tire, I can, I just don't know anything about the actual engine." He nodded.

"Pop the hood will you?" I jumped in my truck and did as I was told. On my way out I took the umbrella with me, opening it up as I stood next to Jacob and looked down into the tangle of pipes and a whole bunch of other things which made up a car. Jacob started working.

"So, how's school going for you Swan?" He asked, giving me a smile as he wiggled his eyebrows at me. I huffed at him.

"Well, it's fine really. It's high school, so it's just wonderful." My voice was practically dripping with sarcasm. He looked at me and made a 'go on' gesture. I sighed and started telling him about my day. "-and I had a little bit of a disagreement with one of the Cullen's here the other day so they are kind of giving me the evil eye." I know, I know; liar liar pants on fire. But there are no other way to give him an edited version of the whole Cullen thing. "Really?" He asked. Disbelieve written over his entire face as he looked at me. "Well, yeah. It wasn't just there fault, it's just as much my fault." He turned back to the car and made a huffing sound. "What?" I asked. He stopped working as he turned to me, leaning on the car. "No, it's just weird to here something about them which is actually normal." I gave him a weird look. "You see, the Cullen's aren't allowed on the reservation." He stopped there, looking like he had already said to much. "Why?" I asked. "I'm not supposed to talk about it." He said, looking down at his hands.

"Come on, I can keep a secret." I encouraged, looking at him up under my lashes, trying to flirt.

I know, not fair, but still, I felt I needed to know what he was talking about. "It's just an old story."

"I want to know" I pleaded. He sighed and looked down at the gravel, a smile hovering at edges of his broad lips.

(I'm using some of the conversation between Bella and Jacob and how she originally get to know the story in Twilight – belongs to Stephenie Meyer) "Do you know any of our old stories, about where we came from – the Quileutes, I mean?" He began. I brought up my umbrella and admitted no as I did. "Well, there are lots of legends, some of them claiming to date back to the Flood – supposedly, the ancient Quileutes tied there canoes to the tops of the tallest trees on the mountain to survive like Noah and the ark." He gave me a goofy grin to show me how un-serious he thought the stories were. "Another legend claims that we descended from wolves – and that the wolves are our brothers still. It's against tribal law to kill them. Then there are the stories about the _cold ones_."

His voice dropped a little lower as he said this. "The cold ones?" I asked, trying to remember if I actually had heard the term before, but came up blank. "Yes, there are stories of the cold ones as old as the wolf legends, and some much more recent. According to legend, my own great-grandfather knew some of them. He was the one who made the treaty that kept them off our land." Now he rolled his eyes. I couldn't help but laugh a little bit at his expression even though my brain was going on high wire underneath my composure. "He was a tribal elder, like my father. You see, the cold ones are the natural enemies of the wolf – well, not the wolf, really, but the wolves that turned into men, like our ancestors. You would call them werewolves."

"So, these werewolves had enemies?"

"Only one." He took a dramatic pause, staring me down with a shit eating grin on his face.

"So as you see, the cold ones are traditionally our enemies. But this coven that came to our territory during my great-grandfather's time was different. They didn't hunt the way others of there kind did – they weren't supposed to be dangerous to the tribe. So my great-grandfather made a truce with them. If they would promise to stay off our lands, we wouldn't expose them to the pale-faces."

He pointed at me as he said the last part. I considered what he had said for a minutes.

"But you just said they weren't supposed to be dangerous."

"There's always a risk for humans to be around the cold ones, even if they're civilized like this clan. You never know when they might get to hungry to resist."

"What do you mean by 'civilized'?"

"They claimed that they didn't hunt humans. They supposedly where somehow able to prey on animals instead."

I tried to hide the fact that I was starting to take this story way to serious.

"So where dose the Cullen's fit in? Are they like the cold ones your great-grandfather met?"

"No" He shock his head as he put in another dramatic pause. "They are the _same ones_."

He smiled at me before looking up at the house.

"There are more of them now, a new female and a new male, but the rest are the same. In my great-grandfather's time they already knew of the leader, Carlisle. He'd been here and gone before _your_ people had even arrived."

I looked up at him. "So, what are they, the cold ones I mean?"

He gave me a wicked look. "Blood drinkers, but they are most commonly known as Vampires."

There was as short silence. "Well, that's some story."

"Yeah, I just violated the treaty though." He said. "I'll take it to the grave." I announced, giving him a grin.

Another silence as Jacob looked down at the engine again, smiling. "So, do you think we are a bunch of superstitious natives or what?" I laughed at his use of words. "Nah, I ain't calling the nut house just yet."

He gave me a playful punch before closing the hood. "Well, I'm done, want to take it one a test ride?"

"Sure." I said, jumping into the drivers side as Jacob got into the passenger side.

We drove on a road by the cliffs of La Push. Jacob was chatting about some stunt Quil and Embry had done on the teacher, I wasn't completely listening though. I looked out the window and clamped down on the breaks. "Oh my God, did you see that?" I said rather loudly, jumping out and running over to the other side of the road. "We need to call 911!" I exclaimed. Suddenly I heard Jacob were laughing from behind me. "They aren't actually jumping, or throwing each other." He nodded as one guy pushed another over the out-spring of the cliff. "They are cliff diving." I watched as another one jumped. It's seemed like ages before he hit the water surface and disappeared into the black water underneath.

"Oh..." Was my oh so fabulous response as I got into he truck again, Jacob following my lead. I watched at all three of them climbed up the cliff – which seemed like a hell of an arm job, before starting over again.

"Who are they?" I asked, feeling my brow furrow. "The big guy's Sam." I looked over at Jacob. He sounded so different, he looked angry, scared and a little bit confused. "The smallest guy is Paul and the guy almost as tall as Sam is Jared." I scanned his face. "You don't like them." I concluded.

His eyes turned to me. "I don't like Sam." He corrected me.

My brow furrowed. "I don't understand." I admitted.

He sighed.

"I guess you could call those guys the La Push gang – even though they aren't one. "They are the complete opposite of a gang actually, they are all about keeping the peace." He snorted – something I had never heard Jacob do, even though I haven't been around with him that much it was obvious that it was not one of his more characteristic traits. "There was this guy from up somewhere by the Makah rez, big guy too, scary-looking. Well, word got around that he was selling meth to kids, and Sam Uley and his disciples ran him off our land. They're all about _our land _, and _tribe pride_... It's getting ridiculous. The worst part is that the council take them seriously. Embry also heard from Leah Clearwater that they call themselves 'protectors' or something like that." His face was so full of resentment and disgust.

"You don't like them." I stated again. This time, he did not correct me though.

"Does it show?" He asked, sarcasm dripping from every word.

"Well, it doesn't sound like they're doing anything bad or wrong." I looked over at the jumping guys again. "Just being annoyingly good."

He nodded. "Extremely so, they act as though we all are dependent upon them. Like... I don't know."

There was a long pause. "But I don't entirely get why you dislike them so much, if they are so good and all."

Jacob shook his head. "It's not the goodness, it's them I don't like. They keep watching me, like... like they are waiting for something to happen or something, especially Sam. It's been going on for a few weeks now. It freak's me out. Even Quil and Embry are getting nervous about it."

"Well..." I started as I turned the ignition in the truck. "Just flip him and the others the finger or something." Jacob barked a loud laugh, and we drove of, heading for Jacobs house.

"What do I owe you?" I asked Jacob as I was about to leave, I was not _not _going to pay him.

"Nothing." He said. I gave him a sturdy look. "I'm giving you something." He thought about it for a second. "Well, let's figure out something you can give me in return the next time you come by." He said, giving me a smile before giving me a hug. I almost pulled away, almost. On Jacob I could smell the same awful smell that smelled all over the rez. That creepy feeling of wanting to run away came over me but I tried my hardest to hug him back. "Fine. See you later then Jacob."

I jumped in the truck, started it up and drove of, waving to him as I did.

I drove and as I came to a patch of forest right after the cliffs I had to stop, the stench was overwhelming as was giving me a headache. I parked the truck on as mall road which went into the forest. I tried breathing normal but with no luck. A claustrophobic feeling swept over me as I took the keys, locked up the truck and walked into the forest to try and walk it of, and maybe the forest could provide me with some fresh air.

It hadn't rained in some time so the forest were as close to dry as it ever would be in Washington.

I dodged branches and jumped over fallen trees, suddenly though a twig broke behind me.

I swung around on the spot and looked around me. Nothing. I slumped down on another fallen tree which it seemed to be a lot of in this forest.

Sighing I sat there just thinking, cherishing the silence the forest brought with it, but cursing the smell.

But without me thinking much of it I sprang up on instinct I didn't know I possessed the second I detected a presence, I turned around to come face to face with Sam and his 'gang'. I looked at them and I could feel my brow furrow. They stood there, bare feet, bare chested – a lot of muscles by the way, with only a par of shorts on each.

I didn't relax though. There were something about these guys which made me uneasy right now, and that feeling just didn't come without a reason."Hi." I said finally, trying to sound all happy.

They glared at me. "Who are you?" Sam asked in the most rude town I have ever heard. "I am Bella Swan, you are?" I didn't even bother being more polite then he was. "I am Sam Uley, and you are on our land." I could feel my temper flair. My mother had one several occasions said that I didn't often get angry, but when I first got angry, she would not want to be on my bad side. I took that too heart as I felt myself getting angry. "I don't see your name written anywhere." I know, childish, but what do you say, 'let me see the law papers?', it just isn't the same you know.

The wind came blowing from behind me and suddenly all of them covered there noses. "She doesn't smell like one of them." Jared said. "What are you?" Sam growled. I took a step back. "What are you?" I answered, already knowing there were more to these guys then what showed on the outside. The wind turned again and this time there was my turn to double over with disgust, I tried not to gag up my lunch, but it was hard, very hard. "What do you want?" I said when I came to my senses.

"You, of our land." Paul said. He was shaking in the oddest way. I didn't answer that. Jared turned his head to Sam and said in a low voice I almost couldn't her. "She is danger, I can feel it, her scent is almost worse then the leeches, I suggest we kill her of." Before Sam had time to answer. The wind turned again, this time blowing my scent towards them, my hair blowing around my face. Paul started shaking violently, and suddenly he just burst – as a water balloon.

A terrible ripping sound was heard through the woods and a howl I can only describe as terrifying came from the remains of the water balloon. Birds took flight and a deer or two ran for there lives at the sound.

And in his place where a giant grey wolf – enormous. It growled at me.

"Paul, stop!" Sam screamed at it but it was too late. The wolf sprang on me. I threw myself to the side – I landed on the forest floor, but just as fast sprang up and started running as fast as I could through the forest, don't knowing up and down or left or right as I jumped over lodges and dodged trees; faster then I had ever ran in my entire life.

My powers was on high drive, I could hear the forest frees and crackle of warmth at the same time, water falling from branches flew away from me and pierced trees and made hug branches fall down around me like there was a machine gun going of. But I didn't have time to think of any of these things because Paul was gaining on me. He had four legs and was bigger and stronger then me; there was no way I could survive this.

Trying to hold onto some of my control I pushed out a huge wave of cold ice, leaving a wall of it behind me, I heard the wolf crash into it, but not penetrate.

I tried making my legs move faster in sheer desperation but it was no use. A crashing sound was heard as my wall of ice fell apart. Suddenly the forest parted for me. About 10 – 15 meters in front of me lay the edge of the cliff. I stumbled and as I did sent out more ice, leaving behind another wall, I could hear the wolf halt but needed to be sure of it.

I turned my head and looked behind me, my hair blowing around my face as I did. The wall fell apart and the wolf came running threw, baring it's teeth at me, with a final effort, breathing hard, heart thumping like a hummingbirds in my chest, I pushed of the grown and threw myself of the cliff. I turned in mid air and used the last of my strength to push the big animal back with heat, it howled in pain as it faltered a few steps.

And I fell, releasing an ear-piercing scream as I did, the last thing I saw before the ocean engulfed me were two wolves staring down at me. They looked shocked and angry, and I sincerely hoped that I took the life of Paul, the werewolf.

*Change in POV*

APOV:

I sat in the living room snuggled into Jasper on the couch. Edward was by his piano and Esme was in a chair looking over some magazines. We had just gotten home from school. A lot of students had gone home early today because of Coach Clapp being sick, but unfortunately, non of us had gym. We had arrived home as usual. I gave Jasper a chaste kiss on the cheek and started switching channels on the TV. Suddenly the remote went falling to the floor as I was pulled into a vision.

I figure burst out of the forest, branches and dirt flying in every direction. The person stumbled a little before regaining the footing. Time was going in slow motion as I watched.

I could see the person was running almost as fast as one of use. I was in for a shock when I discovered it was Bella, her brown hair blowing around her head in a tangled mess. Her hood had fallen off and she looked scared and desperate. No, wait, she looked more then scared, she looked terrified out of believes.

She turned her head and looked behind her as her legs continued moving. Her eyes widened – I can almost not believe a person could look more scared, but she managed - she fast turned back and legged out, she was pushing the limits of have fast she could go – that was painfully obvious.

Suddenly I saw where exactly was heading and I tried to scream at her to stop, but she didn't hear me. She threw herself into the air, of the gigantic cliff with a fall that would definitely kill her.

She turned in mid air and it looked like she was pushing something away before she started to fall, gaining speed each second. She let out an ear-piercing scream as she fell. Bella hit the water with a huge splash and everything went black.

I was yanked back to reality, panting. I tried in vain to calm myself but the only thing I really could see at the moment were Bella's terrified face, hair blowing around her face. I didn't notice I had been drawing her just like that before jasper took the paper. "This is Bella." He said. Esme ran over and snatched it. "Alice?" She asked. I could hear worry in her voice. "Oh no..." I chocked as I understood it was too late. I hugged my knees to my chest on the couch feeling responsible and guilty.

Edward sat down by his piano, looking like something just died inside him, and I understood then, he would never be the same.

**Merry Christmas! **

**Love Anqeole ^^ **


	9. Chapter 9

**Happy New Year! **

**Chapter 9: Sinking Realizations**

BPOV:

Blackness.

Cold.

Wet

My eyes shot open. Blurry. Foggy.

The change kicked into gear and within seconds the water turned from dark and foggy to light and... unfoggy.

I looked up at the cliff and instead of swimming to the surface I did the only thing a sensible scared person would do, I swam.

As fast as I could away from there. Suddenly I shoot threw the water faster then a bullet threw air. I was out of control and it was so painfully obvious as I shoot forward, not being able to stop.

The water turned darker and darker, I could no longer see the bottom, only darkness underneath me. Like those scary animal program's on TV with whales and deep water fish.

I tried desperately to slow down and finally, I managed, after a timespan unknown to me.

Fast – but not to fast this time – I swam to the surface. Breathing in and out, trying to calm myself. Clenching my teeth I closed my eyes and breathed.

"Well, you are definitely new." I spun around wide eyed, the heart I just had managed to calm down jumping back up in my throat.  
In front of me where a woman. Maybe in her 40ies, to my utter astonishment, she was a mermaid.  
I looked at her, she had scales on both her cheeks and some in her hairline. The colour was just as mine, maybe a little bit lighter in the scales.

She had black short hair and a pair of dark brown eyes. She was probably of Asian origin.

"Damn you are young. Would think you were too young to be one of use, I have never seen anybody that young actually." She started studying me like I had done her. A silence fell over us. "You are like me." I said, stating the obvious. She nodded. "I take it you have never met anybody like yourself?" I shock my head at her, feeling shy all of a sudden.  
"So, I can see you aren't done with the transformation yet, how long have you been one of us?" She asked. She seemed like one of these brisk women, never beating around the bush. I cleared my troth. "It's been about 2 years now."

"Two years?" She asked, sounding astonished. "Yes...?" I asked, hesitating. "Oh honey, what have you been doing? You should have been done with this shit 1 year and 6 months ago. Have you been enough in the moonlight?" Now it was my turn to look like a fish out of water. "Moonlight? You got to be kidding me. Moonlight is like embracing madness, of course I have stayed away from it!"

"Not smart girlie, not smart. Like you said, embrace the madness, the energy, the moon. You need to embrace the moon. The moon is what gives us power, what gives us energy, what gives us life. Staying away is like... like... suicide." She finally finished. "So, go into the moonlight next full moon, if I'm not wrong that's in two weeks right? Well, you should make our tributes to the moon, have you gotten yourself a flute yet?" I was becoming overwhelmed and more confused with every word she said. "A flute? What am I supposed to do with that? I don't have money for a flute, I can even less play one. And what kind of tributes are you talking about?" She shushed me.

"Since you don't have one yet you can just sing, that works just as well, but don't be in a public place." I opened my mouth to speak but she held up a hand. "There's a book you can read about all this, it's named 'The Marine Myths', found in a normal bookshop. Because honestly, who believes any of those books anyway?" I opened my mouth again but she cut me of. "But right now, I have to go. Maybe I will see you again some day. I recommend you to head on to shallower water, the bigger fish tend to be a bitch at this time of the year." She saluted me and dived, disappearing in the dark water.

The silence fell. Looking around myself I noticed it was dark out, very dark.

I looked down into the darkness of the ocean. It was impossible to see anything. It may had been my imagination playing tricks on me, but suddenly I thought I saw something move underneath me.

Fear bobbled up in me as what she had said repeated itself in my head.

Looking around myself I tried to determine which way I came from.

There was nothing to see, just an endless ocean every way I looked. Looking down again, something stirred in the darkness. A huge wave of fear came over me.

Looking to both sides I decided the left was the probably back to La Push.

Taking a breath of air I ducked a few about one and a half meter down before pushing using as much force as I had. I shoot through the water as before, but this time, expecting what was coming, I did not panic. Instead I continued in the speed and looked for shallower water.

I swam, and swam and swam. Darkness razing past me. Breathing break.

I swam some more, some more, breathing break, before swimming some more at the neck breaking speed. Pushing my limits to

After some more time I felt myself starting to go tiered, not used to swimming at all, considering the fact that the only swimming I really got done was in the bathtub.

Not exactly exercise.

A burning in my lungs signalized it was time to breath, slowing to a stop I swam up to the surface. The horizon was growing lighter which was not really a good sign.

I felt desperation slowly coming over me as I looked around myself for the 3rd time since I started swimming in the direction I thought was Forks Washington. Sighing I hit the water with my fist, saying some very colourful curse words.

But as my fist hit the surface I noticed how cold the water actually was. Strange. It hadn't been this cold when I fell from the cliff.

I scrunched at the horizon, looking slowly around myself. My eyes scanned something black without really seeing it. My eyes shot back to the dark line I saw there in the dusk of the morning.

Scrunching, I turned my body that way, setting my teeth I ducked under the the surface and tailed out. Swimming as fast as possible.

I ducked up every time I needed air, the land coming closer and closer.

I took a deep final breath, ducked down and swam, the land turning shallower and shallower.

It was so painfully obvious that it wasn't La Push though. The water was clear and cold, only stones, no lodges or mud at the bottom. When the water was so shallow I could probably have stood in human form I ducked my head over the water.

The shore was deserted. No one, not even a boat.

A sigh of relief left my lips as I swam to the shore, finding a rock which came straight out of a little bit deeper water I pulled myself half way up. It felt like heaven to lay down. I was exhausted, but I didn't have time to rest. Sighing I looked down the shore. In the distance I could see docks. Sighing I pushed myself of the rock and started swimming towards them.

It wasn't fare, but still fare enough. When I came there it felt like I was going to lose my tail very very soon.

There was no one at the docks. Only a whole bunch of boats.

"I need clothes." I mumbled. I swam from boat to boat, looking for clothes. When I had gotten so far on shore I was afraid I would be spotted I came upon a boat with clothes inside the steering house. Jumping down I swam over the the ladder and started pulling myself up.

I came up on the deck and dried myself.

The cold air hit me like a bucket of ice water. Standing I covered my chest with one arm and ran over.

It was locked. I looked around on the deck for something useful. There was an crowbar. I grabbed it and started bending on the old door. It didn't take much before the door went up. I hurried in. It was a pair of sweat pants, socks, boats, a hoody and some glows.

I threw on the clothes and started rubbing my arms to get warm. Looking around the boat again I tried to determine if there was anything else I could take.

Deciding that was it I stepped out and closed the door as best as I could. "Now you are a thief to, what is the next." I mumbled as I jumped of the boat and over on the docks again.

There was a small city, deciding that was my best shot I started walking.

It was a lair of snow over the docks which I hadn't noticed.

It was cold. I drew on the hood and continued on my walk.

The city was small, all the windows dark. Sighing – my breath coming out in puffs of smoke – I tried to locate where exactly I was.

After some time of looking I came up on a sign saying: Welcome to Kodiak Alaska

I couldn't help but stare at the sign. "Alaska?" I chocked out. No wonder it was so cold.

I looked around myself. It could be no more then 4 am in the morning.

I turned back to the the sign which also sported a small map of Alaska and the USA.

Pointing I put my finger on the island where Kodiak where located. "I'm here." I muttered.

Taking my other finger I placed it on just about where La Push would be located in Washington.

"And I need to get there."

The fastest way was straight over, the way I had come. Put how would I know if I were going in the right direction when I couldn't see land any more? I didn't especially want to end up in Japan.

I could follow the shore all the way to Washington, but it was much longer.

Sighing, I walked away from the sign and into the town again. I would have to follow the shore. I examined the town I was in. It was like I imagined all fish villages in Alaska looked like. The houses, the docks, the street, the _cold_. I can't even understand how people survive the cold. It wasn't a very large town so within minutes I had reached the docks. The water was not inviting, not inviting at all. It looked cold and piercing. "Damn it." I muttered.

Setting my teeth I started discarding my clothes, folding them and putting them on the dock, hoping the owner found them. When everything was of I stood there and looked down in the water. "Damn it." I mumbled for the second time. Clasping my hand over my nose I walked a few steppes and jumped.

Hitting the surface of the water was cold, very cold. It was like hitting a ocean of needles instead of water. Shuddering I sank.

The change kicked in and I was back in my mermaid form. The water was not as cold in this form, but it had a bite to it. Deciding getting into warmer water was smarter then staying here I ducked up, figured out which way I should go and which land to follow, before ducking down and starting on the very long trip home.

* * *

I ducked my head up. A surge of joy came over me by seeing the familiar cost of La Push. I had been swimming for a very long time now, it was nearing midnight or something on Saturday. That would mean, most of the people in La Push should be sleeping. But I dond't know about the werewolf's.

Looking at the cost I decided to go up on land from a place that lead straight into the forest. Ducking down I swam over and as fast as I could dragged myself up.

Changing back I stood, looked around me before casting water repelling on my feet and over my head, before I ran.

Shooting threw the forest I fast located where the werewolf's had tried attacking me. Continuing on I found my truck where I had left it. I looked at it before I realised something. "The keys." I muttered. "Where did I put the keys?"

I had had them in my hand. Turning around and running back to where I met Sam, Jared, and Paul I looked around myself on the ground. The smell of the wolfs made me antsy. And fast my breath turned erratic. I didn't have time to panic though, because suddenly something silver caught my eye. I ran over and bent down.  
"Thank the God!" I exclaimed, grabbing the keys and standing up. Looking around myself one last time I sprinted back to the truck, opened it and locked myself in.  
Leaning over in the passenger seat I grabbed the emergency bag of clothes I had started carrying around and begun dressing. When I had gotten on everything and actually looked more like a normal person I started the truck, backed out and hit the speed towards home.

* * *

It was almost heaven to get way from La Push , the disgusting stench, everything. I came over the border and a sweet smell I had never noticed before hit me. It was heaven compared to the werewolf's stench. Breathing in, I speed up more, really wanting to get home.

* * *

All of Forks were sleeping as I drove through it. Only a few windows were light up.

Finally I arrived at my house. I never thought I would be so glad to be home, but as I stopped the truck in the driveway, and I looked up at the house, a sob escaped my lips before I started outright crying.

Crying of exhaustion, fear and relief. A laugh escaped my lips as I grabbed the empty bag.

Locking up the truck I turned to the house and walked in. Not even bothering to change I walked to the second floor and dumped down on my bed, falling asleep before my head even hit the pillow.

* * *

Sunday came and went. I were only up to get something to eat before heading of to get some sleep again. Charlie was worried but I brushed it of, saying I was just very tired.

* * *

I awoke, dead tired on Monday. Still feeling drained from my trip to Alaska. Sighing I pushed my self of the bed.  
I had taken to lying on my stomach since my back had taken quiet a hit from the fall of the cliff. Wincing a little as I stretched I walked over and grabbed what I needed before heading to the bathroom.

I was a little bit late when I arrived at school so everyone were inside. Grabbing my umbrella and my backpack I got out, locked up my truck and walked into the school.

I looked like shit today. Black circles under my eyes, messy hair, my skin a ghastly colour. Not pretty. Walking through the halls filled with people with my head down I was mostly ignored, suddenly though I felt eyes on me.

Looking up I came face to face with all of the Cullen's. They looked at me like I had stood up from the grave. It was rather unnerving.

I hastily turned away from them and continued my walk to class, feeling there stares boring into my back. Going a little bit faster I rounded the corner, cutting of there stares.

Strange, and a little bit creepy.

* * *

The Cullen's were staring at me. I mean, they were _staring_. No one else seemed to notice, but I'm telling you, I noticed.

I fidgeted in my seat.

"Bella? Are you fine? You don't look so well." Angel asked, looking at me with a worried gaze. This earned the attention of the others on the table. Mike, which was sitting next to me slung an arm around me and rubbed down my back and before I had time to answer Angela he rubbed right at the bruise. I yelped in pain. Mike jumped to the side. People started shooting questions at me left an right.

I straightened my back and rubbed at my neck not really knowing what to say. I felt really awkward. "Well, on Friday... Yeah, on Friday.. I kind of..." I looked around myself. The Cullen's were staring intensely at me. I turned back to the people at the table and continued my stuttering. "I kind of fell down... Fell down of a..." They were al staring at me. "Kitchen chair?"

It came out as a question. And the next thing that happened was very much unexpected. A booming laugh filled the cafeteria. Everyone on the table – including me, spun around to look for the source. Emmett Cullen's head was thrown back in laughter, and it looked like the others had problems with holding in there own.

* * *

I sat at my desk in biology. I could feel Edward's eyes on me. I couldn't help but fidget under his eyes. This was beyond scary.

Pushing my hair in between us I tried my best to ignore him all together. Mr. Banner assigned tasks and turned to his computer, doing God knows what.

I turned to my book, still ignoring him.

"Bella?" I heard at my side. I pretended I didn't hear him. "Bella?" He asked again, leaning a little bit towards me. I turned my head to look at him, figuring I should just figure out what he wanted.

I was startled at how close he was. He looked at me, I mean really looked at me.  
Suddenly a soft smile stretched across his lips. Before his face turned grave. "Bella, it may not mean much to you. But I am so sorry." He said. His words laced with sinister feeling. I was dumbstruck as I looked at him. The silence stretched on. "O-ok?" I finally stuttered out, feeling like a dear in the headlights – completely taken by surprise. "Do you forgive me?" he asked.

I nodded without really thinking. A smile was back on his face, except this one radiated happiness and warmth.

It was rather unsettling.

Realization hit me as I sat there.

Well damn it, I just forgave him.

**Pinkrose14 – Beta-reader for the chapter, Thank you**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Breaking Bones **

I watched Jessica's retreating back as she marched away from me, what she said to me still spinning around in my head and making me see red.

"_Isn't it enough that you have caught the eye of Edward Cullen, now you are taking Mike too? You are such a bitch! I can't believe I fell for your act or even considerer you my friend!" _

'I want to run over and tackle her to the ground before setting my teeth in her shoulder. I want to grab the nearest stone and throw it at her as hard as I can. I want to make her fall. Now.'

The voice in my head sounded mean and rather of its rock to be frank, but at the moment I couldn't find it within me to acknowledge the fact.

I watched as the water under Jessica's feet turned to ice in less than a second. She lost her footing and went down.

The remarkable thing though, was that before she hit the ground again the water that had turned to ice turned back to water again. A strange feeling came over me when the water was again the original form, like I was coming down from a high, before Jessica connected with a sickening crack, water splashing up around her.

A short silence before she opened her mouth and screamed, clutching her arm.

Her scream pulled me out of my hate filled haze.

"Jessica! Are you ok?" I called horrified as I ran over to her.

.

I sat on top of the kitchen table, looking down at my feet which dangled over the floorboards. The house was silent and the only thing that could be heard was the rain rattling on the front porch and windowsills. I leaned forward and rested my head in my hands, rubbing my eyes. "I broke her wrist." I said out into the silence of the house, slowly. "I broke it." I repeated.

I sounded disbelieving and I was, for lack of better words. I just couldn't understand how I managed to do something like that without having any control what so ever.

I thought back over the last week. It had been rather eventful. I had forgiven Edward, which was something I didn't think would happen in this lifetime. He had royally pissed me of to say the least, so why then had I not done something similar to him when I wanted to take his head off?

Even though _that_ would have been catastrophic.

Mike had become clingier, which was a factor of stress and today I had blown him of saying he should ask Jessica out instead of trying to ask me out when I was not interested. He had finally taken the hint, but Jessica hadn't heard. She had heard from someone that Mike had asked me out, and she had blown up and I had broken her wrist. Where along this rode had I become a violent person?

I was interrupted in my musings by the phone. I glanced over at the time. It was half past nine, who would be calling now? I got off the table and walked over. "It's Bella." I stated, holding it to my ear.

"Bella," I voice said on the other end, it took a few seconds to pinpoint who it was. "I'm so sorry." Jessica exclaimed. I silently sighed. "No, Jessica, it's fine. Really it is. How are you?"

"I'm fine really; I'm ending up with a cast on prom, if I'm even able to go." She sounded miserable. "Why wouldn't you be able to go?" I asked, wondering what could possibly stop her; she was going with Mike after all – after I blew him off he had gotten the picture. To be honest I thought not even a zombie apocalypse would stop her from going. "I don't have a dress." she said, in a rather desperate fashion.

"I thought you went with Lauran last week."

"Well, I was supposed to, but then her mother found a dress and she didn't have to go." I never really liked Lauran much, and Jessica wasn't my best friend, but she was a friend none the less and I did break her wrist after all; even though she wasn't aware of that.

"I'm going to Port Angeles tomorrow, do you want to come? I could help you find a dress for the dance." I offered, even though I am not the most eager shopping butterfly.

"You would do that?" she asked, sounding baffled.

"Sure. Why not, we can have a girls' night out. Secondly, I know you really like Mike, and you have been looking forward to this dance for ages, it's all you have been talking about."

A small silence descended upon the line. "But I screamed at you, I called you a bitch."

"You thought you had good reason to." I stated. "Secondly, being called a bitch isn't that much of a stretch when it comes to me – surly you have noticed that I do tend to be one on occasions, if you had called me something along the lines of 'cow' on the other hand,"

She laughed, which was what I was aiming for. "And we can ask Angela, I don't think she has bought anything yet either." I continued.

"Sure, we can use my car, mom's paying for gas."

"Shall I call Angela?" I asked. "No, I'll do it. See you tomorrow, bye!"

I put the phone down, sighing. I lifted my hand and examined it carefully, wondering what tomorrow would bring.

.

I sat by Jessica and Angel at lunch. Seeing Jessica's cast gave a foul taste in my mouth, guilt making my stomach churn. She was talking on and on about what kind of dress she wanted. Mike wasn't here so it was ok for her to talk she had stated before starting. I was smiling and nodding at the right places. I shut her out for a few seconds as I looked over at the Cullen table. It was empty today; the sun was shining down upon Forks.

In reality I had distend myself a little bit from the Cullen's after the whole friendship thing, even though I had gotten over that. It was now more pleasant small talk than anything else. It made me kind of sad to think I was pulling away from Edward, he was a nice guy, and good looks were just a bonus on top of it all, but on the other hand he was maybe a bit too mysterious for my taste. Secondly, it felt like I couldn't get close to anyone right now, things were getting stranger and stranger by the day.

Just the last week had brought changes. I could hear over greater distances, see things I did not see before like dust rabbits in the corners, ugh.. And my reflexes had gotten a serious boost; so it wasn't all bad. I didn't trip half as much now as earlier, I did no longer eat food, I ate fish and drank salt water at all meals – I couldn't help it, throwing up every day is not on top of my to do list, so I had stopped eating lunch at school to not attract to much attention. Things were too strange, too twisted to pull someone else into the mess that was currently my life. Secondly, I don't trust them, the Cullen's I mean. I don't trust them right now.

I know they are something else, and I have had the strangest feeling, like I know what they are, it's been nagging at my brain – but I can't for the life of me figure out what. It's like I have some kind of wall up and there is no way to go around, I can see the top but it's too high to climb.

Very much annoying, it's like remembering the melody of a song but not the lyrics or what it's named.

I turned away from the empty table and back to Jessica and Angel, thinking about this will not make this any better or bring about any changes.

.

With Jessica blasting a pop song on the stereo we were of. "So," Jessica said, looking over at me. I was in the front, Angela in the back. "What is happening between you and Edward anyway? It's like watching a game of hot and cold." Within seconds I looked like a tomato. "Nothing much, we are sort of friends."

"Really?" Jessica asked. She was about to ask more questions when Angela cut in. I sent her a grateful look; at least Angela understood I did not want to talk about it.

.

"Yes, it looks stunning." I said to Jessica as she tried on a pink dress which fitted her nicely. Angela was trying on a pale blue. "You both look beautiful in those." I continued, checking the time, the book store would close in 45 minutes. "Did you have something to do in Port Angeles today; you said you were going here anyway, right?" Jessica asked, turning to look at her backside in the pink dress. "I really need to go by the book store." I paused. "Do you guys mind? I can just meet you back at the restaurant. I just need to pick up a book I ordered over the internet, it won't take long."

"No, you go ahead." Angela said with a kind smile. "And by the way," I said, picking up my purse. "I am voting for those two, you would blow the guys away in those." With that I hurried out, heading down the street towards the book store. It was a commotion on the other side of the street, some drunk guys coming stumbling out of a bar I didn't pay them any head though.

I found the book store without much trouble; it was small with a lot of those spiritual stones in the window and books about healing and meditation on the stands. A bell chimed over the door as I walked in.

"I ordered a book here, my name is Bella Swan."

The middle age lady behind the counter which looked like she had been taken straight out of the 60's smiled at me.

"A few minutes and I will have it." And she disappeared into the back room.

I browsed the shelves while I waited, seeing if it was anything interesting in this shop.

My eyes scanned the shelves but suddenly halted. Myths. I grabbed the book and opened it on a random page. Vampires. I started reading about them, and most of it was utterly ridiculous.

Cold. Stone hard. Reflexes. I could feel a chill run up my spine as I read these three words. Slowly the wall in my head fell down. "Miss Swan?" A voice said from behind me, making me jump, I hastily put the book back on the shelf. "You scared me." I laughed breathlessly, walking over to the counter.

"I'm sorry dear." She said, giving me another smile, which I now noticed looked utterly absent, like she wasn't really present. Creepy.

I stuffed the book in my bag as I walked down the street towards the restaurant.

It had gotten dark and the street lights cast shadows in every corner. I speed up when I heard footsteps behind me. Turning a corner as I looked behind me for the owner of the footsteps I smashed right into a person, a guy to be precise, he grabbed my upper arms.

Looking at his face and smelling him I realised he was drunk. "Where do you think you're going sugar?" He slurred at my face, breathing on my with a breath smelling of vodka and beer. I pushed him away, only now realising that I was surrounded; my back towards the wall. "Get away from me." I said, trying to inch further into the wall, but it was no use. The guy that had stopped me came a bit closer, I pushed him away again. The others laughed, taunting. Within seconds I got backhanded across the face. It burned. Hissing I did the opposite of what Charlie had taught me as a kid. I drew my fist back and hit him as hard as I could. And to my surprise he flew backwards, crashing into the wall on the other side of the ally. It was a sickening crack as he connected before he fell down in what looked like a boneless heap on the concrete ground. The guys looked from me to their friend before they bolted, screaming. When they were out of sight I slowly crept forward to the guy I had punched. Leaning down I carefully poked his shoulder, he fell over sideways and landed with another smack on the hard ground. In hurried movements I pushed his collar out of the way and felt for a pulse, any pulse. Nothing; no pulse and no breathing. "Oh God..." I mumbled to myself. The sound of a car interrupted me and I shot back from the guy and ran out of the ally as fast as my legs could carry me towards the restaurant, which has got to have been pretty fast, cause within seconds I had left the ally, and what I had done behind me.

I looked at my face in the bathroom mirror on the restaurant. My cheek was turning red and was raw to the touch. Not pleasant at all. I lifted my hand towards it but stopped in mid air. I was shaking like a leaf. Looking into my own eyes in the mirror I was met with eyes the size of plates. I looked like a deer caught in the headlights of a truck. Grabbing the sink I breathed in deep and slowly before letting it out again, it wasn't my fault. It was an accident, I was defending myself. Secondly, I can't even explain what happened; I don't have control of this.

_You keep telling yourself that dear_. My inner voice said.

Shutting my eyes tight I turned to the wall and hit out with my fist. I thought the pain would shock me out of my ridiculous state, but instead I heard the cracking of tiles. Jumping back I looked at the dent in the tiles I had made. Looking down upon my bruised hand I took a few steps back. "This is impossible." I said weakly; as if that would make this, whatever _this_ is, go away. But of course, I never had such luck. Cursing I clapped my hands together in front of my face and breathed in and out, imagining myself putting my feelings in a box, putting that in a closet and putting the key on a table until I got home and out of the company of Jessica and Angela.

Putting my hands to my side I purposely walked out of the bathroom and into the crowded restaurant. Walking in-between the tables I got to the booth we were seated at. Smiling at Angela and Jessica I sat down. "So, what did you order?" I asked. "What happened to your cheek?" Jessica exclaimed. I felt my face go red. "Well, it's kind of embarrassing..." I said. No it's not, my brain told me, it's fucking sick. "Bella, it looks like someone slapped you." Angela said worriedly. A nervous laugh bubbled out of my mouth. "No, I wasn't slapped, why would someone slap me? No you see.. ugh... On my way back here to meet you guys – you know, after I was at the bookshop, I was a bit stressed so.. ugh... I didn't really pay any attention to where I was going since I don't really know this town so I was trying to find my way back and I... em.. ran into a... ah... lamp post." I finished, taking a big drink of my water so that another nervous laugh wouldn't bubble out of me on its own accord. They stared at me for a few seconds before Jessica broke out laughing and after a few seconds of Jessica's laughing Angela joined in and I couldn't help myself as I too laughed because all in all, if it had been true it would have been something to tell the grandchildren. "Seriously Bella, I can't fathom how you managed that." Jessica said through her laughter. I gave her a weak smile, "Me neither." It felt like ten pounds were lifted from my shoulders as they laughed it off and started talking about food, but on the other side it is sad how fast they accept a lie, I guess people believe what they want to believe.

I dumped down ungracefully in my chair in biology, depositing my books on the table top. Sighing I glanced over at Edward who was opening his mouth to say something but shut it just as quick. He looked at something behind me, turning I came face to face with Mike, which had turned the nearest chair and sat down in it; facing me. "What's up Mike?" I asked, wondering why in the world he had sat down at our table. "Not much, really; I just wanted to ask again, you know, with the dance coming up and everything," he said, rubbing the back of his neck with the palm of his hand. He started doing hand gestures while he talked. "I was just wondering, you know; if you wanted to go…" He paused. "with us as a group? The others wanted me to ask." He finished, giving me a strained smile, he looked like a lost puppy. "Oh Mike," I said, feeling very much out of place. "I'm sorry, you see, I'm going to Seattle that weekend, you guys have fun. Don't worry about me, don't tell Jessica I said this but she has _the_ most stunning dress, so look forward to that." I tried to be gentle and at the same time firm, but it's easier said than done. "You can't go another weekend? We all want you to come you know, you won't be the third wheel." He said; sounding a bit like someone gutted him. "I'm sorry; it's the only weekend which was suitable." I said with finality in my voice.

He nodded before standing up and walking back to his seat. "Are you?" Edward said, and I turned to him. "Are what?" I asked, my brow furrowing a bit. "Going to Seattle this weekend?" I thought about it for a few seconds before I figured lying to Edward wouldn't be beneficial. "No, not really, but I feel I have to since everyone thinks I'm going." I looked down in my biology book and flipped a few pages, barley reading the headlines. "So," I said pausing. "I am going." I looked at him and gave him a smile. "You are aware," He said slowly. "That Seattle is a three hour drive from here, right?" I looked at him, wondering what in the world he was getting at. "Yes, I am aware of that fact." I said. "Are you sure your truck is up for the job" He asked, now his brow furrowed and I couldn't help but draw in a gasp, just a bit offended, "Hey, my truck is just fine, there is nothing wrong with it at all."

"But won't it take a lot of gas to get there and back again." I sighed. "That it will, but I am willing to make that sacrifice." He looked a bit put out again.

"And I am assuming you are also aware of the fact that there are a lot of people with questionable intent in Seattle."

I could feel the colour drain from my face as my mind flashed back to yesterday, the guy I had killed in an ally and left for someone else to find. I had pushed it back into my mind since yesterday and again I had to push it back into the back of my mind, trying to supress the shudder at the sound of breaking of bones as he had crashed into the wall. This sound seemed to stick with me this week, no matter what. Swallowing a bit heavily I looked at him sternly. "Of course I am aware of that, I'm from Phoenix and there are only people with questionable intent there, I think I'll manage just fine." He didn't have any chance to say any more as Mr Banner called the class's attention before he started going on and on about some test that was coming up soon, sighing a bit I slumped in my seat and tried my best to pay attention, easier said than one I assure you.

Luckily the class ended 10 minutes later. Slowly I stuffed my things into my backpack. "Bella?" I heard Edward's voice from behind me. "Yes?" I asked looking up at him as I paused in my packing; he was already finished, of course.

"I was just wondering, you know, if maybe I could come with you to Seattle? We could take my Volvo, it won't be as expensive as taking your truck." I could feel my brow furrow. "Why do you want to come with me to Seattle? Aren't you going to prom?" I asked, wondering why in the world he wouldn't go, his siblings was surly going weren't they?

"No, I'm not going. And since none of us are then we might as well do something together. And I have been debating whether or not to go to Seattle for a while now, I need to get some things there."

I felt a bubbly feeling growing in my stomach but pushed it down with a vicious mental punch and a snarl. "Okay, if you really were going anyways; but I'm paying for half of the gas." He opened his mouth with a frown but I cut him off. "But I have PE so I got to go. Talk to you tomorrow yeah?" I called over my shoulder as I rushed out.

.

The house was silent as Charlie was still at work, something about finishing a report or something. Closing the last school book I pushed it away from myself and walked over to my bed, dumping myself down face first; groaning as I did so.

Turning my head to the side I survived my room. It was half messy, some clothes and papers here and there, but what else is to expect really, I'm a teenager after all.

My eyes slowly wandered to the night stand and my heart skipped. Under another stack of books lay the book I had bought in Port Angeles. So innocent, yet such a treat and hopefully a complete waste of money, deep down, I just wanted it to have answers. And maybe I already knew it had, maybe that was why I hadn't opened it yet. Next weekend was the full moon again. Sighing I sat up cross-legged on my bed. Leaning forward I lifted the other books and grabbed the thick heavy tomb of doom and lifted it into my lap, setting the other books down again on the night stand. It was thick, very much so; looming and unpredictable. I had read the back text though. It said it was about all of the myths of the sea, which meant everything from strange fish to the lock ness monster – even though that one was technically in a lake.

Taking a deep breath I grabbed the cover and flipped it open to the index. IT was a lot of animals there, a lot of strange names I had never heard, and not one I recognised.

I frowned down upon the paper and looked through the index again. No mermaids, no sirens, no nothing. It was just a whole bunch of bollocks and letters thrown together in a never ending list of nothing and everything. "What even.." I mumbled, looking it over more slowly this time, but still not finding what I now wanted to find. Sighing I turned the page a few more times before starting on the first page and looking at the pictures, trying to find what I hoped was a picture of someone like me.

After half an hour I had almost carded slowly through half the thing when I froze after turning to page 236. There. A great picture was plastered over the page to introduce the next creature. It was someone like me, stretching out on a beach, smiling wide, looking like an animal, the tail half way in the water, over it was written in a neat handwriting: Caesg

I looked at it, frowning before turning to the introduction before the index and looking at what the hell it said, half way through it I found myself cursing. It was Celtic. All the words were in Celtic because the author thought it made everything more realistic. "Fucking bastard wasting my time…" I muttered as I flipped back to page 236, looking at the picture again. She was darker in the scales then me, more bluish. Feeling myself growing more and more nervous by the second I slowly flipped the page and looked at the first headline; Basic traits.

I looked away from the book, asking myself one last time if I really wanted to know what this was, if I really wanted to know; and if I read it, would I then believe it. Everything couldn't be true could it? No, it could not, most definitely not. They wouldn't print everything in a book, would they?

Taking another unneeded deep breath I flipped the book open and started reading. The book says they are extremely connected to the moon because it's in a way their energy source and the thing which makes them live forever. And this is fine, the other mermaid also said we were connected to the moon, but living forever? This part tells me everything in this book is just written by a mad, strange little man with some kind of complex related to his age and his every changing looks, nothing lasts forever after all. Not bothering to read over the rest and actually try to analyse what it said I smacked the thing shut, leaned down and showed it under my bed with all my bags. I grabbed one of them which was still not properly packed out of and put it on the bed. Opening it I rummaged through until I took out my old worn out but still functioning i-pod. My mom got it for me on my last birthday, telling me to come into the 21 century.

Clicking the on button to see if it had any battery left the screen flashed to life. It was 30 % left so I plugged in my earphones and clicked mix. A rather old song came on and I smiled as a memory of me and my mom back in Phoenix, making dinner and dancing around the kitchen. Lying back on my bed I let it play before listening to the next one, then the next one.

.

I pushed my cereal around in my bowl tiredly, glancing up at Charlie from time to time. Edward had called yesterday interrupting my music listening. How he got my number I don't know, but he asked me if I was planning to sleep over in Seattle because the forecaster had said that a storm was coming in over Washington Saturday night. I had asked him if he had any suggestions and he had said their family had an apartment in Seattle since Alice and Rosalie like taking shopping weekends there. He had proposed sleeping there before heading home Sunday morning so as not to get caught in the storm. I thought that was a swell idea, except for the part of sharing an apartment with Edward, alone, for an entire night, in a storm.

But it was the logical thing to do, so in a way it was just about finalised.

The problem was that I hadn't told Charlie yet. He had the day of so he had decided to join me for breakfast, despite the fact that he had come in late yesterday.

Deciding it was better to just get it over with I took a deep breath and put my spoon down, fold my hands on the table top. "Dad," I said to get his attention. He looked up at me from the newspaper, waiting for me to continue. "this weekend it's prom at school,"

"You are going with someone?" He asked looking pale before I had a chance to continue, "no, I'm not going, but-"

"Why? Did no one ask you?" I sighed. "I got asked but I am not going anyway, that was not what I wanted to talk to you about." I gave him a stern look. "I am going to Seattle if it's ok with you. I need to get a few things for school and a few new clothes and I didn't find anything I liked in Port Angeles. And then Edward Cullen asked if he could come. He offered his car since it uses less gas pr. Mile." Charlie was nodding but was still a bit pale. I didn't mention the storm – I could just call him when it hit, if it hit at all – they aren't always correct. Charlie's lips were pursed and his forehead creased in contemplation.

"Edward Cullen, are you guys," he hesitated, "dating?" I stared at him as I felt my cheeks turn as red as tomatoes on the end of the tomato season. "No dad, we aren't dating. We are just friends, we are partners in biology so we sit together every day." Charlie nodded. "I guess its fine, but call me if anything happens, okey?" I nodded. "Of course dad." I mumbled. Glancing at the clock I hurriedly stood and stressed around the kitchen, "Sorry, I got to run – have a nice day of!" I called as I hurried out of the house with my backpack and keys in hand.

As I drove to school it started raining heavily and I glanced at my umbrella in concern, only to realise that it was not there. I felt myself getting panicked as I opened my backpack with one hand, trying to keep the car on the road at the same time as I rummaged through it. No umbrella. I remembered then that I had forgotten it by the kitchen table. Cursing I leaned a bit forward and opened the glove compartment. Sticking my hand in I took out the extra one. It was smaller than my usual umbrella and I could see even now that this one was too small. I would get wet before I had even left the parking lot. Pushing it back in I smacked the glow compartment shut with a huff.

As I parked the rain was still annoyingly persistent in getting me late to class. Sighing I turned off the engine and sat there for a few moments, trying to figure out something to do about this. My mind started to wander and I come to think about the man in the ally and the fact that there had been nothing on the news about him. People should have seen or smelled his body by now. Maybe he wasn't dead after all? Maybe I had just been too stressed and not checked for pulse in the right place? Then suddenly a rasp on my window made me jump around forgetting my train of thought. There stood no other person then Edward Cullen in all his glory, smiling. Carefully I rolled my window downwards and surprisingly it went down smoothly without any trouble, maybe the window just despised Tyler. "Hey." I said over the drumming of the rain, that's when I noticed his huge umbrella he had over his head. It was see through with black lining, a pretty one all in all – it also looked expensive with its wooden handle and its sturdy outlook. The kind of umbrella you in reality need in this kind of weather but do not have money enough to buy. "Nice umbrella." I said with a little smile. Maybe he would let me join him under it, not that I would ask though.  
"Forgot your umbrella today?" He asked me, still smiling. I felt my eyes narrow at him. "How do you know that?" I asked him, a bit verily. "A hunch." he said with the same smile. "So, I thought I would ask if you wanted to walk with me to class today."

I gave him a look, looked around at the parking lot – people were staring. Glancing at the glow compartment I decided. "Sure, but can I hold the umbrella?" I asked, my voice fading a bit out at the end, maybe he said no. "Of course." He said, nodding at me. Closing the window I beckoned him forward and opened the door carefully, not a drop of water fell from between the car and the umbrella, sliding out I grabbed my keys and my backpack and closed the door, locking up the truck behind me before turning to him. He was awfully close under the umbrella and I couldn't help the blush that slowly covered my cheeks. "May I?" I said, beating down any other silly idiotic thing I could possibly say in this situation. "Of course." He retorted, handing me the umbrella and standing besides, gesturing for me to walk when I so pleased. Smiling a bit I started walking, but I could still feel a question nagging at my brain. "So," I said, a bit unsure how to approach this, "you are not going to play 20 questions like a few weeks back?" My voice was insecure, I knew that, but how else was I going to put it? I glanced at him; he still had a small smile on his lips as we stopped in front of building A. I turned to him, still holding the umbrella so that both him and I could fit underneath. "No. I have decided to let time do what you can't."

"Answering questions you mean?" I asked. He nodded, still smiling faintly. "Well, that's ok I guess. But you know, I'm extremely good at holding on to secrets, you may just have to wait a long time." I was serious; he just seemed in a goofy mood compared to me. "I know, but I am a patient man, and I have a long time." The first bell rang then, signalling people to get a move on to class. "Your umb-"

He didn't let me finish. "See you at lunch yes?" he said, throwing up the hood of his rain jacket and walking into the rain towards another building.

Walking in, I sat down by an empty desk, but my thoughts in a completely different place then the lecture. Even though it seemed unlikely my brain just wasn't able to push away the fact that I thought – and almost believed in the fact that he and his family was vampires. It was just too much evidence which pointed to it, even though vampires did not exist. But then again, I'm a mermaid, why shouldn't vampires exist? And on that note, why aren't they running rampaged in the little town of Forks on a feeding frenzy of doom? But looking at this fact the question is – why don't I just dance in the rain? Seem a bit counterproductive, everything considered.

Maybe I should just confront him about it; maybe I'll do it tomorrow.

.

..

…

….

I know, I know – just punch me already – I have been a terrible fanfiction writer – and I'm sorry! I really am, I feel terrible about this - but now I'm back, if it means anything O.O

So, here is Chapter 10 I guess… I'm going to spare you all the ridiculous excuses because I know they do not really matter – so I'm just going to say that Chapter 11 will not be the trip with Edward, that will first come in Chapter 12 – but Chapter 11 will be more Bella time… Or something along those lines.

Hope you enjoyed it at least :)

Love Anqeole.

Ps: I'm going do a rewrite of this story – hopefully during the Christmas holyday, so if you see any mistakes and so on it's because it's not been beat read and it was written in a bit of a rush.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Discovering Oneself**

Edward was waiting for me when I came out of PE. He had been in a surprisingly good mood today. Or, I mean, I don't really know him that well, but compared to his moods earlier this year I would say this was almost 'I won a million dollars' happy. Maybe this was the way he was with his family, if that is so then he show other people a rather cold side of himself, but what can really I say on that – I'm not exactly miss sunshine to anyone, now am I?

Despite this fact I gave him a smile as I walked towards him with the expensive umbrella in my hand. He had refused to take it back at lunch when I had sat with him for the first time in weeks, Jessica had been ecstatic to say the least.

Holding the umbrella over my head to shield from the rain I lifted it a bit as I reached him, he ducked underneath. "If you follow me to the car I will give it back to you when I am safely seated." I aside, starting to walk, he joined me. "Are we still on for tomorrow?" He asked me as we stopped for a car – it looked like Tyler. "If you're still game I'm still game." I stated, starting to walk again. "Good." I looked over at him, he was smiling. Just then we arrived at my car so I didn't have time to ask him about his silly grin. Fumbling a bit with the keys I managed to stick them in the door and open it. I jumped in and handed out the umbrella to him. "No, you can keep it." He said. I shook my head, pushing it towards him purposefully.

"Firstly; I have an umbrella, secondly; this thing is expensive, you can' possibly just give it to me." Now it was his turn to shake his head at me. "You need it more than me obviously, and money isn't an issue," I opened my mouth to make a retort but he cut me off before I had a chance to start. "You can accept it on the terms that I was being less of a gentleman to you then I have ever been to anyone. Take it as an apology." He said. "You could have given me a cupcake or an apple or something – this," I said gesturing to the umbrella, "is just way too expensive to be an 'I'm sorry' gift."

"I will see you tomorrow, have a nice evening Bella." He said, giving me a small attentive smile before turning on his heel and walking away towards his family. The rain was pelting down, flattening some of that unruly hair down. His family was standing under just as expensive looking umbrellas with designer clothes. I may not be an expert in the field, but I know designer clothes when I see them. The cut, the material the way they make everyone look like movie stars. But then again, if they were vampires, shouldn't they be beautiful none the less? And I guess I do believe they are vampires, no matter how crazy it sounds.

I watched them all pile into the car before driving off, just as they passed me I spotted a small figure with black spiked hair waving from the backseat, Alice. I gave her a wave back before shutting my door when they drove out of the lot and to the right.

Starting the car I backed up before driving out of the parking lot, taking left and driving home.

The second I stepped into the house the phone rang in the kitchen. Kicking of my wet boots I hurried over. "Hello, it's Bella Swan." I said. "Hi Bella," Charlie said, sounding serious. "Hi dad, I thought you had the day off." I said, trying to figure out whether I was remembering the correct day.

"Well, I did but they called from the station. Seems like they found a man dead at a power station not too far away, it appears to be some kind of animal." I felt cold run down my back and my muscles stiffen. But without reason, if you put it in perspective, I'm from Phoenix. The city of crime and killing – this shouldn't even give me a tick. Shaking myself a bit I concentrated on the conversation I was having but not participating in. "Oh.. Really? Strange." I mumbled, trying to figure out what exactly I should say. "I'm heading down there now so I will probably not be home until late tonight. Will you be ok? I can always call the Blacks to ask-" I cut him off. "I'll be fine dad; don't worry about me." A small silence fell over the phone. "If you're sure." Charlie mumbled. "I'm sure." Another moment of silence, "Well, I should get going. Remember to lock the door, I don't like this animal attack, seems strange."

"I will dad." I bit my lip, trying to figure out how to say this. "Be careful okey?" I asked, feeling silly. "Always am, night Bella." He said in a gruff voice. "Night dad." I mumbled back, hanging up the phone. Walking over to the door I locked it and shrugged out of my jacket, grabbing my bag I walked up to my room. Without really caring I dumped it down next to my desk. Sitting down I turned to the book lying open there. I had written a few notes and picked out what I believed to be true from the myths and the 'facts' in the book. In my opinion the book was a waste of money; it hadn't really helped anything since most of it was history, but I had been able to write down water, moon and powers. It stated that we changed at the contact of water, which was correct, then I had written down the moon, because the mermaid I met the other day had said I needed to go out in it. Shuddering at the idea, I looked away from my notes and at the part I had underlined in the book but I hadn't written down.

_They are very sensitive to each other's moods and feelings, and say if one of them were in trouble or were overly emotional, they would subconsciously be able to find another and search them out in some way or another. Older of their kind can use this and locate others, and the younger can just grasp the feeling in great distress and follow their instincts if needed._

I had been pondering how in the world I had bumped into another of my kind in the middle of nowhere just like that, and it seemed plausible, but still oh so crazy. But for now I would accept this for what it was and say that I actually _subconsciously_ sought her out. Sighing I turned back to the last note I had made, which were powers. Because come on, I already knew those were there, even though they probably were buried kind of deep. I almost always used them in the heat of the moment though, except that one time in school, but I knew I could repel water to some degree. Sitting back in my chair I clapped my hands together in front of my mouth. I had to do this sooner or later. Later being the preferable option, but this was a golden opportunity after all; Charlie wouldn't be home until late tonight, if he didn't spend the night at the police station. "Ok," I said into the silence of the house and the pattering of rain outside. "shall I do this?" I mumbled, barley whispered. A sigh before I stood, "I will do this."

Changing first I got out of everything and put on a pair of old, washed out and ripped-here-and-there jeans, an oversized t-shirt and an old tight purple sweater underneath which were three quarter long on the arms, it clashed a bit with the orange duck on the t-shirt but it was what I had, and who cared anyways. Putting my hair up in a bun I grabbed my slippers and headed for the kitchen, taking a hold of the book as I walked by it. When I came downstairs I put the book down on the kitchen table and looked out the window. It was getting dark. Making a split second decision I leaned forward and closed the curtains, walking into the living room I closed all the curtains there as well, I also turned off the lights in the ceiling and just used the lamps next to the couch and underneath the cupboards, I always preferred it when it was a bit darker, made it a bit more cosy and inviting when the room was bathed in the soft light from the smaller lamps. Walking over to the cupboard in the kitchen I filled a bowl with water and brought it with me into the living room, I sat the bowl down on the table, got the book from the kitchen before setting myself crossed legged down on the couch, putting the book in the seat next to me. Looking up I was met with the black glossy TV, I could see my reflection in it. Taking a hold of the remote I turned it on and switched to some kind of music channel, turning it down to a comfortable volume before putting the remote down on the couch next to me and turning to the bowl filled with water. Every time I had done something it had been partly accidental. I remember the first time something like this happened.

_I was so angry, I could just feel it boiling within me, and in all honesty I had no right to be so angry, but this just ticked me off to no end. Storming down the stairs I and through the living room I almost flew out onto the porch where my mom was sunbathing, listening to some God forsaken hippie music from her teenage years. "Jesus Christ! Are you deaf? This is the last time I ask, can you turn that friggen noise down?" I nearly shouted the last part, and I was probably as red as a tomato in the face, between me and my shocked mother where a table with a mug of lemonade and an empty glass with a lemon slice in. "Yes, you don't need to shout." She said, leaning forward and turning the volume down, a grin twisted her lips as she lay back down. "Are you laughing at me?" I said slowly, feeling myself becoming angrier by the second. "No Bella, of course not." She said; that stupid grin still plastered on her face. In one motion she put her sunglasses on and pulled the hat a bit down over her face. My hands balling up to fists I felt something snap within me and with a great whoosh the lemonade in the mug sprayed upwards and straight into my face. My mother looked at me and broke down in laughter. With a roar of anger I stomped into the house with my mother's laughter following me. _

My lips couldn't help but turn upwards at the memory. It was right before the change and if the book was correct and not at total fraud it was hormones which had been the problem. I had really blown up at her for absolutely nothing, but at the time the music had really gotten on my last nerve, it still dose to be honest. Shaking my head I looked down at the bowl of water. If I am not completely of the mark that was the water repelling in one burst of energy, probably it could be used to control it too, most likely. Feeling like an utter fool I lifted my hands towards the bowl and lifted it into my lap so that it was resting in between my crossed legs. Holding my hands over the bowl I concentrated, my brow furrowed but nothing happened. Shaking myself a bit I tried again, nothing. Huffing I let my hands fall down by my side. "Maybe I'm just crazy." I muttered. Leaning back I pinched the bridge of my nose. Ok, so maybe I wasn't being specific enough. I was just trying to make something happen, but that is very vague. Maybe if I actually tried to do something with it. Sitting straighter again I concentrated on getting the water away from me, to make it move away.

It was a strange feeling, like tapping into something foreign but still so familiar and warm, ancient and unused. The warm feeling spread through me until it was in my toes, my belly, my head and at the very tips of my fingers. And as I looked the water in the bowl slowly moved away from my hands which hovered over the surface; towards the middle of the bowl and upwards to get away from my hands, I gasped and moved my hands away. The water sloshed back down in the bowl, the feeling just buzzing a bit under my skin before ebbing away into nothingness. I stared at the slowing water; I had never done it that deliberately before. The feeling, the still small tingling in my fingertips, the complete and utter strangeness of it all, the fact that this – whatever this is – should not be possible, for me of all people. I looked down at my hands before a giggle bubbled out of me. "Damn…" I mumbled, fascinated. Deciding that this was more than worth my time I leaned over the bowl again with new eagerness and new ideas as to what kind of possibilities I had with this power.

.

I moved my hands around, concentrating more than I had in a long time. Small water bubbles where floating around me and I had a bigger bubble I stretched on and shaped in front of me. I couldn't help but smile as I made the bubble into something resembling an eel which I made swim around the bubbles. I could feel the sweat pearls rolling down my temples, but despite this I didn't want to stop. Sighing as I felt a small twinge – as a branch breaking, only I would feel it instead of hear it, I put the big blob back in the bowl with a move of my hand. The other smaller bubbles started to follow but before everyone had gone into the bowl I directed one towards me, opening my mouth I leaned a bit forward and 'drank it'. When I had swallowed I couldn't help but laugh, I just drank water out of midair. Grinning I leaned back and relaxed. My hand went up and I swept the back of it over my forehead, it was a few sweat drops which stuck to my hand when I took it away to inspect it. I had early on figured out that my own body fluids did not make me into a mermaid; it must have something to do with the fact that my own fluids probably had some other type of combination then normal water and other people's bodily fluids. Not that I had gone up and hugged a sweaty person just to check, and I wouldn't do that either, I'm not that stupid, maybe someday I would have an opportunity to experiment, but not at this moment in time.

Smiling I leaned forward over the bowl again. I knew I could do two more things. Holding my hands over the bowl again I brought forth the warm fuzzy feeling again and concentrated, the water started boiling and steam rose, I sat a bit straighter and moved my hands away, the fuzzy flow stopping. The water settled down but it was still steaming. Dipping one finger in I hastily moved it away. Yes, that was warm water all right. Focusing again and with one sharp gesture the water in the bowl froze over to solid ice. I tapped it with a satisfied grin the cold under my fingers making my smile a bit wider. Feeling exhausted and utterly drained I stood up with the bowl in hand and moved into the kitchen. Setting it in the sink I melted away the ice – even though by now it felt like I was totally drained, and emptied the bowl, carefully I dried it of before setting it back in the cupboard. A smile spread across my lips, a slow satisfied smile. I had accomplished something, it felt like I had come over a small cliff, I had climbed over a wall so to speak, and it felt so God damn _good_. Leaning forward over the kitchen table I stretched my arms out, grabbing a hold of the curtains and pushing them aside.

I froze. I could not tear my eyes away from the face reflected in the glass surface. A chill ran down my back and I could feel a deep rooted fear setting in deep within me. I did not see myself, I could not _recognize_ myself. The girl in the glass had my hair; she had my face shape, but the eyes. They were more oblong, sharper at the edges. The pupils blown wide; like a pit of darkness with my brown irises in a narrow circle around the edge. The lips were also the same, frozen in a smile which had been victorious only a few seconds ago, but the teeth, they seemed sharper somehow, more defined, whiter and looking more predatorily than what was normal for a human being. It was not me.

A sudden sound from the living room made me jump around; ripped out of my frozen state. I turned and looked back to my reflection on the window as fast as I could.

The reflection was now of a teenage girl with eyes as wide as saucers and face drained of colour, looking ghastly. It was me again. A big sigh escaped me, but I was still unsettled. Leaning forward I kept my eyes on the reflection as I tucked the curtains properly in their place. Standing back straight I turned and headed into the living room. I glanced to the TV on the still running music channel, 00.17 am. Walking over to the windows I carefully pushed back the curtains, setting them properly before walking over to the table, grabbing the remote and turning of the TV. Turning to the couch I was about to pick up the book but it wasn't on the couch, leaning forward I looked down, and there it was, lying the wrong way around on the floor. Bending over I picked it, a few pages had been folded but nothing else seemed to be wrong. I had probably just put it too far out on the couch and the weight shift which had happened when I had stood up made it fall down. Smoothing out the pages I closed it clutched it to my chest and walked around the room, shutting of lights as I went. Next came the kitchen, I left the light on in the hallway in case Charlie came home during the night. The house suddenly seemed very unsettling and with my still slightly shaken mind I hurried up the stairs, _don't look_ _back don't look back do not look back_.

Turning into my room I closed the door behind me and stood in the darkness, breathing in and out slowly to stop my racing heart. I had no reason to be anxious, but I couldn't help it. Taking the few steps over to my bed I put on my nightstand light and put the book down on the floor underneath the bed. Giving it a small kick with my foot, the book slid all the way to the other side and made a small tap as it collided with the wall. Going down on my knees I grabbed a box and pushed it in front of it and pushing the suitcase on the end so that it was well hidden just in case Charlie decided to come in to check for laundry or something, didn't really want him to get the wrong idea, secondly, he was rather sheltered and I could just not go back to Phoenix, it was just too risky. I turned and sat down on the floor my back to the bed. It may be a silly reason why I left, but it seemed valid at the time. I had been so positive that someone had figured me out, but it didn't seem so now. If I had been figured out something probably would have happened by now.

I had been careless, I knew I had been, but I had been younger then, or not so much younger, but it seemed like years away. And it may have been rash that I left so suddenly, but I was panicking. Pushing it away from the forefront of my mind I pushed myself up, one hand on the bed. It was nothing to dwell on, not really, and I was getting up early tomorrow to get ready and pack everything. Taking a hold of my night clothes I hurried into the bathroom and closed the door behind me, turning the lock. Deciding to keep my eyes away from the mirror I hurried through my nightly routine before getting into bed and closing my eyes.

_Don't think about it_.

I turned over in bed, closing my eyes tightly and bringing the duvet up to my ears. But my reflection, _the_ reflection, would not leave my esophagus.

Turning over again I buried my head in the pillow.

_Don't think about it, don't think about it, don't think. _


	12. Chapter 12: part I

**Chapter 12: Light bulbs and Umbrellas **

**Part 1**

I awoke to the alarm screaming next to my ear at half past 7. Groaning I rolled over in bed and pushed the button, the room fell into a blessed silence. Groaning again I fell back on the bed. When had I fallen asleep anyways? I couldn't remember, I had felt so unsettled last night that I must have slipped into oblivion without noticing. Glancing over at the time I sighed. 36 minutes past 7. I really needed to get up. "Why did I agree to this?" I mumbled to myself as I sat up, leaning forward heavily and feeling more like snuggling down into the blankets and going right back asleep.

And I probably would have done just that, if it wasn't for the fact that I was driving to Seattle with Edward. Cursing him in my own mind I got out of bed. My room was chilly and I hurried over to my closet. Grabbing the suit first I turned to my drawers, making a quick decision I took a hold of my last pair of jeans, they were a bit tight due to the suite but it worked. Deciding on a green shirt I took a hold it, picking out a black scarf which would fit with my boots and gloves before I ran to the toilet to fix myself for the day.  
After I was finished I put my hair up in a pony-tale, grabbed a bag and started packing the stuff I needed.  
When I was done I took my purse and overnight bag and headed downstairs, being silent as I noticed Charlie's door was closed. He must have come home during the night. In the kitchen I ate some fish for breakfast as usual, cleaned up and finally sat down at the kitchen table. I felt so tired, drained. Maybe I shouldn't have experimented last night. What I wanted more than anything was just to go back to bed or the couch, curl up into a little ball and sleep for a few weeks. Putting my head in my hands I closed my eyes, but just as I was about to drift of the doorbell rang. Jumping up from my seat I staggered out into the hallway and wrenched the door open. There Edward stood in all his glory smiling like an idiot, looking as well rested and annoyingly chirpy as always. I glance at the clock in the living room, twenty past eight. "You're early." I stated, opening the door more so he could come in and turning to get my bag in the kitchen. He followed. Taking my gloves from the table I put them on before turning to Edward. He was regarding the kitchen with what seemed like extreme interest. His eyes stopped on the counter though. Turning I saw the very long plastic gloves and the plastic apron lying there. Sighing I leaned down and grabbed my bag from the floor, slinging the strap over my shoulder before taking a hold of my purse which had been next to my gloves on the table. "As you may have noticed I have a bit of a small phobia towards water, and I can't really do anything about it." He looked towards me. "A phobia?" He asked, sounding sceptical. "Yes, a phobia." I stated, trying to sound convincing. I gave him a small smile as he regarded me and as I did a chunk of my hair fell forward and into my face, it was enough to crack him up. I was about to set my bag down to push it back in its place but before I had the chance to he stepped forward, reached his fingers out and tucked the strand of hair behind my ear, his finger lingering just a bit too long. I turned as red as a tomato within seconds and he stared, unabashed, as though it was the most normal thing to do. I coughed, "Shall we get going?" I asked, he didn't answer my question. "Shall I take your bag?" He asked. I looked at him, no joke; he was actually asking me that. I blinked a few times. "O-Ok?" It came out more as a question than anything else; people in general didn't usually ask me stuff like that. He smiled and grabbed my overnight bag from my hand, walking into the hallway, opening the front door and onto the roofed porch. It was pouring outside. As quick as I could I put on my boots and jacket before taking a hold of the expensive umbrella, "I am still adamant about you taking this umbrella back." I stated as I walked out after him closing the door and fishing out my key to lock it. When the door was properly shut I turned and put the umbrella over my head, holding it a bit higher so that Edward could come underneath as well. We hurried over to the car and got in. Putting the umbrella in the back I shrugged out of my jacket and tossed it in the back as well, Edward in the seat next to me did the same. He started the car and we were off. Silence settled around us as we drove through Fork's towards the highway. "So," I stated, trying to find something to talk about. "anything specific you are getting in Seattle?" It was a bit chilly in the car, and he must have noticed because he started fiddling with the buttons to turn the heat up before answering. "Not originally, but Alice decided that since I was going I could pick up some things she ordered, and Rosalie want me to run by a certain shop to get her some parts for the cars at home. I also figured I would stop by a music store to see if they had some new music and maybe some sheet music I don't have." I took a few seconds to proses the information. "Rosalie likes cars?" I asked first, figuring I could start there. I looked over at him as the same time as he glanced my way. His eyes moved back to the road though as we were driving out on the highway and that took some concentration. "Yes, it's a hobby of hers." He was smiling; it was written all over his face that he was very fond of his siblings. "That's nice." I stated. "What about Alice? Does she have any special interests?" He glanced over at me, still smiling. "You can say that. She adores shopping, of all things. It's a shipment of clothes I am picking up for her in Seattle. She is actually the one colour coding our closets and so on, it's an obsession of hers, if it's not Alice approved you will not be wearing it, getting clothes past her is impossible." I grinned, I could actually picture that. "I guess I can see that, she seems like the type. Can't say I am too fond of shopping myself though, it's more an occupational hazard for me."

"Really now?" He said, looking over at me, "She won't be happy to hear that."

I laughed at that. "Well she will just have to survive, shopping isn't really my scene. It's ok and all but it's not something I choose to do if I do not have to." He grinned, seeming to enjoy himself. Well, that's good; we are sitting here for 3 hours after all. "Do you play any instrument; since you mentioned sheet music?" I said next. "I play piano; have done for some time now." He seemed to be enjoying some kind of inside joke, I decided not to ask. Maybe it was about them being vampires. How old dose vampires get anyways?

I was brought out of my thoughts when Edward decided to return the favour of asking questions. "You seem very interested in my siblings." Ok, not a question, more a statement.

"I don't have any of my own now do I? It's nice to hear how it is to have more than just your mom or your dad." I answered, and it was true too, having siblings was always interesting to me since I never had any myself. "I guess." He mumbled, silence again fell over the car as we speed up the highway towards Seattle. I was rummaging through my brain for something to talk about but he beat me to it. "Can I ask you something?" he glanced over at me after uttering his question. I thought about it for a few seconds, trying to gauge his expression. "Yes, you can always ask." I stated, letting the fact that he was not to expect an answer hang in the air between us. "I guess that is reasonable." He muttered, more to him than me I presume. He took a few seconds, his hands moving a bit restlessly on the wheel. "Are you something else; something not completely human?" I guess I could be offended by the question, but what was the bother really it was true wasn't it? I just had to start to get used to no longer being referred to as a human being. A little smile still graced my lips though, I couldn't really help it and in my opinion it was a rather funny situation. A year ago I could not in my wildest imagination believe that I would be having this conversation with someone. "I should have expected that one." I stated, fiddling with my gloves before deciding to just take them off, I neatly folded them and put them down in my lap. I reached my hands up and untied the elastic band, letting my hair fall down around my shoulders, taking a hold of it I took a hold of it and directed it down one of my shoulders before I slowly started carding my fingers through it. He looked over at me, looking a bit unsure, "I guess you could phrase it like that, I really am not human anymore. So yes, I am something else, just like you and your family, just not the same species." I could almost see him stiffening in the driver's seat. Parting up my hair I started plaiting it. "Oh relax, it's not like any of us is going to go screaming it from the rooftops now is it." I put on the elastic band before pushing the braid over my shoulder. I looked over at him and smiled. "Besides, I like you and your family, you intrigue me. And you are the only once I really know here, and which knows me, even though I am with the other guys at school you guys know the most about me in this town." I wanted to add in the world, but that would be overly dramatic, even though it technically was true.

I glanced out of the window at the car we were passing, it was a little girl in the backseat and what was probably a mother in the front seat, talking with what looked like another woman in the passenger seat. The little girl which looked to be around 4 stared at me, I couldn't help it; I smiled at her. Slowly the little girl with pigtails grinned back at me, lifting my hand I waved; she enthusiastically waved back before we passed the car and changed files. "So Charlie doesn't know?" My head whipped around to look at him at the question, what he had just asked. I guess it hit a bit too close to home. I looked forward; gave out a small huff of air which represented in my mind a dry laugh. "How could I tell him? There is _no way_ to tell him." I paused but it had hit a bit of a nerve so my mouth ran away from me, "It isn't like there is a pamphlet stating how to tell your father you have turned into a-" I shut up at that, smacking my mouth shut with a little snap. I looked over at him now. "Sorry, you hit a nerve." I mumbled. He nodded. "Your mother?" he asked. I shook my head, "No one knows." I stated, I sighed. "It's just me, and I guess I am pretty much alone in this, but I think I'm doing pretty fine." I grinned a bit at that recalling the run in with the werewolves or what the hell they really were; pretty fine indeed, more like pretty amazingly awful. "You guys haven't figured it out yet so I must be doing something right." I grinned over at him. He glanced at me, a small smile playing on his lips as well. "I guess you must." His face suddenly turned grave. "How much exactly do you know about us?" I made a small humming noise in my throat. "Good question." I stated. "Probably more then you guys would like me to." I admitted, figuring it wasn't that big of a deal. "How much exactly?" he asked, carefully this time, very serious. I thought of weather I should just tell him or not and decided on telling, at least half way. "I think I have gotten around to a pretty good guess which is not kryptonite or radioactive spiders." He tensed, his hands tightening a bit on the wheel. "Is that so? And how have you come to this conclusion?" he asked, always about the how with this guy. "I got contacts; secondly I like to think I am not a complete moron, at least most of the time. I know I tend to have the driest sense of humour and I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer but I can multiply two and two together." He hummed before both of us fell silent for a few seconds. "Care to indulge me in this theory of yours?" he asked, I looked over at him, he seemed more relaxed then before but not comfortable. I paused before answering, "First I would like to ask you something." I said. He nodded for me to continue. "If I tell you, and I am correct, I don't want that to automatically mean I have to spill the beans, I mean that wouldn't really be just now would it? What would be is if you guys figured it out on your own like I have – or not completely, I could give you a clue, a clue of your choice since I in reality got help, or, sort of help."

He considered this for some time before he looked over at me. "That sounds reasonable." I smiled, "Splendid!" I exclaimed. "Well, I guess it doesn't really matter what you guys are, but it's always nice to become square so," I paused, trying to figure out how to say this. "After much consideration I have come to the conclusion that you and your family are a coven of vampires." The simplest way is usually the best way after all. A silence so pregnant it almost hurt fell over the car. Glancing over at him I saw a very, _very_ grave expression on his face. I looked forward at the cars we were driving with and the rain pelting down upon the window. "I guess now is the time where I am supposed to come with the most horrible blood sucker jokes in the book, right?" he was still silent so I decided to go for it, "How many vampires does it take to change a light bulb?" I asked, and he startled me as he broke out in laughter. I turned my head towards him. I couldn't help but grin before laughing a bit myself. When he calmed down he looked over at me still smiling. "You are unbelievable." He stated.

"I like to have my own opinion on things, and the fact that you can probably see in the dark anyways makes the joke so much better in my opinion."

His grin widened a bit before turning into just a small curve of his lips. "You aren't just a bit worried?" he asked. I thought it over for a moment. "I was sceptical when I first came up with it." I said, looking at him. "But I was never worried or scared; I guess it's just something about you which makes me think you aren't dangerous." It was his turn to huff. "We are dangerous, and you should be afraid I could so easily hurt you, even by accident."

I thought over my fall from the cliff, the wall, the guy in the ally. "I think I'm pretty much safe to be honest, I got some punch in me as well." I muttered, trying to banish the dead guy from my mind, he hadn't been found and were his corps had gone is a question I would both like to have answered and at the same time not. "You know you can talk to me, right?" Edward suddenly asked. I looked over at him with a bit of a puzzled expression on my face. "If there is something bothering you; and I can see it is, you can talk to me. I wouldn't judge you." Turning my head away I looked down at my hands. "Don't be so quick to offer, you may just hear something you don't really want to." We fell silent for a few seconds, I figured he wasn't going to bring it up again, but he continued. "When you were with Jessica and Angela in Port Angeles, to get dresses for the girls choice dance I followed you." He stated; a shiver ran down my spine. "Why?" I asked, trying to understand. "I was worried. I know Port Angeles is not the most hospitable city and I didn't want you to get hurt, not after-" He cut himself of, taking a deep breath. "When you went on by yourself I panicked and tried to find you again and I spotted you in the mind of those vile disgusting-" his hands tightened on the wheel, "Then it was panic and they were running away, when I came around the corner in my car and jumped out you were gone, and the only thing left there were a dead man." I swallowed loudly. "What happened?" he asked. I decided to ignore that in favour of another question first. "Saw me in their minds?" I asked, clearing my troth. He chuckled. "You caught that, huh?" I looked over at him now; he still looked very tense, but a tad less hen 30 seconds ago. "I can read minds; I can hear everything a person is thinking in the moment, what runs through their heads." I stiffened a bit at that. "All apart from yours that is." This was interesting. "Really?"

"Yes, you are totally blank to me, nothing. It's like you are not there most of the time, if I did not hear, see and smell you I would not be able to detect you. It may have something to do with what you are? Some part of your being blocking me. Or it may just be you." I thought it over "I don't think it's what I am to be honest; I think it's just something wrong with me." I felt my brow draw together at my statement, another thing wrong with me, really? He laughed at that. "I tell you I can read minds and there is something wrong with you; that make perfect sense."

I shook my head at him before I decided to just be done with it. "It was an accident." I stated, he fell very silent at that. "Charlie always said to run in those situations, run and scream bloody murderer, but I froze, and they surrounded me before I had a chance to do what he had told me." I sighed, wringing my fingers a bit around each other. "So I decided to do the next thing which came to mind, punch him. I just needed and opening and I would have run and I hoped my punch – if only it just threw him off balance for a few seconds – would be enough to give me that, I didn't expect my punch to be much harder then I intended it to be." I swallowed thickly, trying to banish the sound of it, the sound of breaking bones. "I didn't know I could hit that hard, I didn't know I was capable of something like that. He smashed into the wall on the other side and the guys around me panicked, I panicked." I sighed. "So I ran." I stated. He fell silent and carefully I looked over at him. "So you are strong?" He asked. "Stronger than a normal healthy female human at least."

"And you didn't know this?"

"I am pretty positive that the transformation from human to vampire is not the same as transformation from human to whatever I am, and this takes time, a lot of time, and I think I am doing something wrong because the amount of time this is taking is ridiculous. Something new can happen any second, I just have to go with it and I don't have much choice. Sometimes I am just a bit more unlucky then what's normal."

Silence fell over us and this time I figured he could break the silence if needed, and he did. "I disposed of him, made it look like and accident, that's why he hasn't been on the news."

I didn't really know what to say to that before deciding on the traditional thing. "Thank you." I muttered. "You're welcome." He said back.

"Let's change the subject shall we? I think both of us have more than enough to think about on this topic by now." He said; I gave him a small smile a he glanced over at me. "What do you suggest?" I asked. He grinned wider. "Twenty questions, I ask you ask. But we have to steer clear of the topics which have to do with our nature." I perked up at this. "This sounds like fun." I stated. "You cans start." I continued.

"What is your favourite colour?" I looked over at him.

"Really? You are using one of your questions for that?" he just grinned at me. "Fine, it's your question." I mumbled, figuring the rest of the ride was going to be fun and relaxing I sat a bit more comfortably back in the seat and looked over at Edward, ready for a game of twenty questions.

.

The streets were filled with people and dogs of every shape and form, it was basically people running left and right – stressing, talking on their phones, pushing sneering and I should hate it, I really should. But I didn't, it was utter bliss. I couldn't help the grin, the totally silly and utterly inappropriate grin. I should be angry, swearing over my lack of luck when it came to filled streets and people, but I couldn't help it. This was in its own way home, it had its charm. It's wonderful, captivating addictive charm with pushing and nudging and, and _people_.

Edward walked next to me, a more fitting sullen expression on his face, even though I could detect a hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth. He was giving me these looks, like I was utterly mad and completely bonkers, but that he approved of the silliness.

"Don't look at me like that." I stated, giving his shoulder a small push as I tried to wipe the grin off my face. "Like what?" He asked, like he didn't know. "You know, like that!" I said, giving him, or, trying to give him the look he was giving me. He just grinned at me. "I have never seen you like this, you just seem so happy." He stated, giving me that look again.

"I can't help it; this reminds me of home, minus the heat." He nodded. "You enjoy the city?"

I bobbed my head a bit from side to side. "I guess, it's nothing like a bustling place to keep you occupied, and people in general mind their own business here, they don't put their noses where they do not belong. It's a bit of a blessing in my opinion. And there is no forest here. Don't get me wrong I really like the forest and the ocean, and Forks is beautiful, but after…" I trailed of. "After this year, I don't feel as safe there as I do here, I guess it is the sheltering feeling it provides." He was nodding. "I think I understand." He seemed to contemplate something. "It would be easier to understand though if I knew what you were." He had the most mischievous grin on his face. I gave him a dry laugh in return. "Nice try, but not going to happen." We walked onwards in silence; I window shopping, he seeming to be lost in his own thoughts. But I couldn't help but wrench him out of them as something struck me. "Is it hard?" I asked. He looked over at me. "What?" he mumbled. I tried to figure out how to say this. "If you eat them, is it hard to be around them on a daily basis?" Just as it had come out of my mouth I remembered what Jacob had said. "Oh shoot, sorry, he said you were only supposed to eat animals?" it came out as a question. He stared at me, we had stopped, people parting around us. "Who did you speak to about us? I never got an answer to that." I chewed on the inside of my cheek; I didn't want Jacob to get in trouble because of me. "It wasn't his fault, I played him with dirty tricks, and he believes it's a whole bunch of superstitious nonsense." He kept silent. "He's a family friend – or, his father is best friends with my father, his name is Jacob Black, he helps me with my truck." He nodded, giving me a small smile, before beckoning me to start walking again. "I remember the Black's; his grandfather was a good man, reasonable. But technically he has broken the treaty." I gave him a look. "He's young, cut him some slack, and I flirted and coxed and in general was not very nice so it really isn't his fault." Edward laughed at that. A short silence fell over us. "So there really was a treaty?" I asked, he nodded. "There still is, we keep of their land and they don't attack us and expose us to the normal human beings." He glanced over at me. "Do you…" He trailed of, brow furrowing; I gave him a quizzical look. "Have you by any chance meet Sam Uley?" I looked away from him and I just couldn't help the snort his question produced from me. "Not very hospitable, he should really work on his communication skills as well." I felt his stare on the side of my face. "Last Friday," he started; the most unreadable expression on his face. "you jumped off a cliff, was it because of them?" I stopped now, freezing in my steps. I glanced around me, figuring this was not a conversation to have out in the open like this; we were already playing it very unsafe. Noticing the small coffee shop on the other side of the street I stated. "Let's get a coffee."

.

I caressed my warm mug, even though I was not going to drink it I could still bask in the comfort a warm cup of coffee and the smell of grinding coffee beans give. Edward was playing with the handle of his own coffee cup with long pale fingers. "It was an accident actually that I bumped into them, my truck had problems so I called Jacob after school and went down. When I was heading home I had to stop, the smell was just…" I trailed of, trying to remember the disgusting, awful… "unbearable." I stated. "So I took a small walk, just to clear my head, I was in no state to drive, and I bumped into them. They weren't the most hospitable hosts to say the least, one of them lost control I assume and came after me, and I ran. I am not as fast as them; I didn't really have much choice in the matter." Edward was staring at me. "They are shape shifters," he finally stated. "And they have been there for a long time and hated vampires for just as long." I nodded, not saying anything. "It could have killed you." He said in a stern but still soft tone. I nodded again. "I thought it did there for a moment." I said honestly. The softness disappeared and he just looked stern, even though I couldn't really understand why he cared. He looked out the window, we had chosen a bit of a secluded corner with big comfy chairs, it was in all honesty a very lived in, old looking coffee shop, one of those places with a comfortable atmosphere an ok amount of costumers and nice decor. "Where did you go?" He suddenly said, looking back to me. "What?" I asked, bewildered. "What happened, Alice couldn't find you and it was no-" I cut him of. "Wow, slow down, Alice couldn't find me how? And how do you even know about the cliff incident?" He leaned back in his chair, seeming to contemplate this for a moment. "You know how I said I can read minds?" I gave him a nod, lifting my cup to my lips, just to get the taste of coffee on my lips, not drinking but just a small very tiny sip and breathing it in. "Other vampires also have special powers, Alice can see the future and Jasper can feel and control emotions." A shiver ran down my spine at that. "She can see the future?" I asked in a low private voice, not really knowing how I should react. He nodded, "She can, but there are times she can't see you, and she could not find you all of Friday and most of Saturday, and then we gave up hope. There has also been other incidents were she has not been able to find you." I looked down in the coffee, feeling very lost, what do I say? I can't tell the truth because then they will know and I am not ready for that. What will they do if they ever find out? "You can say," I said slowly, "that I think I understand why she can't." His eyes were boring into me with such intensity; I stared down in my cup. "I can hold my breath for some time and when I fell into the water I got caught in a current and I couldn't get away from it, so it swept me for some time before I managed to get to the surface and up on land. I had also been unconscious for some part of the trip so I was lucky I didn't drown. When I finally got myself onto solid ground I was exhausted, cold and hurting and had no idea where I were. I played through what really happened in my head, pulling out key-points and some feelings, making up something which would lead him away from my trail but at the same time seem plausible. "So I had to walk back, and it took a long time and I was sore and aching and I didn't even know if I was walking in the right direction, and when I did get there I got in my car and drove away as fast as I could." I looked up at him; he was still staring with a furrowed brow and a strange look in his eyes. They were soft, amber, topaz, like they were melting. I sound like such a girl. "I thought you were dead." He stated, leaning forward on his elbows. "I'm sorry." I muttered looking away from him, not knowing what to say. "Bella, please, look at me." I did. "If you get in trouble, no matter what time of day or night, can you please call?" He held out his hand and I realised I did not have his number. Reaching into my jacket pocket I handed it to him. He looked at the rather old device and gave me a look. "What? It still works." I muttered, shuffling my feet under the table, he tapped away at my phone before handing it back. I took it and glanced down but lifted my gaze again when he continued talking. "I am begging you Bella, please call no matter what. I can't take a repeat of last Friday." He was still looking at me with that _expression_. "I don't understand." I stated, feeling something bubbling up within me, I pushed it down. He looked at me for a few seconds before leaning forward. "I like you Bella." He stated, my brow furrowed, I opened my mouth to say something but was cut off. "I care about you," he stated, rephrasing the sentence, I froze. No, he could not care about me, he just could not. "You must be joking." I stated in a very small voice. "I _care_ Bella, and I worry about those I care about." I stared at him; I must look like a deer caught in the headlights but I couldn't help it.

I swallowed thickly, feeling very put on the spot so to speak. "Ok, I'll call if there is something." I muttered, casting my eyes back down to the coffee.

What do I say to that?

I have no idea.

.

We managed to shake ourselves out of the conversation lull an the subtle awkward silence that had settled over us and we talked and chatted while we got everything that we both were going to get in Seattle, the last thing we picked up as night drew nearer was Alice's shipment of clothes. "How can you go out in the sun?" I asked as we headed up the stairs to the shop. "Myth," he threw back at me. "We can't go out in it because we will get unwanted attention but it doesn't hurt us." Stepping to the side he held the door open for me. I stepped in, "So what happens then?" he smiled at me. "I'll show you sometime." He walked past me and towards the counter. It was a designer shop, expensive looking clothes everywhere, the woman behind the counter was wearing a business dress and had her hair in a tight knot perfected with small pearls nestled into the knot here and there giving it a modern yet traditional look. Her makeup was flawless and her skin looked silky smooth and she had perfect posture. I glanced behind me and there a big man with a lot of muscles was standing by the door, a doorkeeper. Feeling uneasy I hurried after Edward, I most definitely did not fit into this scenario and the woman behind the counter knew it, when I came to stand next to Edward she looked down upon me, lifting her nose a bit in the air as though I smelled of something foul. Giving her a measured glare I stood next to Edward and tried to look confident and satisfied with myself. Her eyes turned back to Edward since he was still talking and she smiled at him, "I will get it right away sir." With that she turned and headed for the back room beckoning another doorkeeper to follow her, what kind of place was this? I glanced at Edward and our eyes met. "You are uneasy." He stated after a moment in a low tone, I glanced around myself again. "Well," I muttered, "I do not exactly fit in here; I stand out like a sore thumb." I kept whispering, even though the only people in the room were Edward, the man by the door and me. "Don't be silly, there is nothing wrong with you, you fit right in." I had to supress a deep need to huff at that, really, was he blind? These clothes were from target not Marc Jacobs or Prada. Sighing I put the umbrella down, leaning it on the counter and glancing around again, this was probably a ridiculously expensive store, why bother to use some much money on a pair of pants or a sweater? It's crazy. My musings were cut short as the lady came back with a big box in her arms, doorkeeper number two coming after her with more boxes. Hurrying over I took a hold of the door and held it open for them when I saw it was where they were heading, this earning me a strange look from doorkeeper number 1. Edward walked out and down to the car, opening the trunk and helping them load it in. It took some trips before Edward and I could get in the car and drive away from the store.

.

"Are you hungry?" Edward asked after the last store. He was probably just trying to make peace after he had refused me to pay for my own clothes and he had dragged me to a store I had never been to and then proceeding to be extremely annoying. And just a bit cute, but that is very little, so little that you can barely spot it cute. Mostly annoying. _Really_.

My stomach had been rumbling a few hours ago but I hadn't said anything because I hadn't thought about the food problem before leaving home. I should have brought food or had a plan when it came to this, but I was too much of an idiot to think past the drive. God how do I remember to put on clothes in the morning?. "I don't know if there is somewhere to eat for me around here." I stated. "I'm on a see-food diet you see, trying to cut down on the junk food."

He looked over at me, giving the most sceptical look I have ever seen. "Really." I stated.

He tapped the wheel before opening his mouth saying something I did not expect at all.

"How about sushi?" I looked at him. "Sushi?" I asked in wonder before pulling myself together. "That may work." He smiled over at me before taking left. We drove in silence and it started pouring down, the street becoming blurry, people opening umbrellas on the sidewalks, hurrying.

After a bit we parked and he pointed out an expensive looking restaurant. "They pride themselves in having the biggest variety of sushi in Seattle, also the best made if the critics are to be trusted."

"It looks expensive." I mumbled. "It's the only one I know about." He stated, I gave him a look, he just grinned sheepishly at me. "Let's go." He said; stopping the engine, I looked down for the umbrella, but it was not by my seat, looking in the backseat I tried to find it. I looked over the car again, twisting properly in my seat. "The umbrella isn't here." I muttered, leaning further back to look on the floor of the backseat before it hit me. "I left it in the store." I mumbled before glancing outside at the pouring rain.  
Should I just..

Maybe I should..

What harm can come of it?

I don't know if I should.

But he told me.

Ok.. I guess I should then…

"Shall we go?" I asked, sipping up my jacket.

.

_Happy Easter!_

_Love Anqeole_

_btw: if anyone is interested in being a beta it's just to PM. _


	13. Chapter 12: part II

**Chapter 12: Sushi and Padlocks**

**Part 2**

He just stared at me. "But, it's raining." He said, bewildered. I nodded. "I have decided to give you a free tip so to speak." I mumbled, now feeling silly more than anything. He gave me another quizzical look. "You told me about being a mind reader, about Alice being able to see the future, Jasper having the power to control emotions even though I had no idea about any of those, so I just wanted to give you something in return, that's all." I guess deep down I wanted them to know – for someone, just anyone to _know_ about this. I wasn't alone so to speak, I had friends, had my father, my mother constantly mailing me and the Blacks down at the reservation. But, despite all this, it wasn't really the same now was it? They didn't know. I could talk to them about trivial matters of everyday life, but when it came to this I was all alone and to be honest it was starting to become a lonely existence.

I wouldn't tell them, no way, that wasn't even an option to be honest. But, I could give him and at the same time them a hint as to what I were. Not that they would guess it, if they hadn't managed by now it would take a bit more than this, but now I just felt silly at even thinking the thought – and saying it aloud, I'm such a fool.

Taking a breath I looked up from my feet to his face and his expression startled me. He had a soft smile on his lips and his eyes showed excitement. "Really?" He asked in a tone I had never heard before. I felt a blush creep up my neck and flaming up my cheeks within seconds.

"Stop that." I mumbled, glancing out at the pouring rain.

Deciding it was better to just get it over with I looked back at him, well aware of the fact that my cheeks were still ablaze. "Ok, so I don't want you to laugh, you get two questions and…" I trailed of. "Just, sit in your seat, I'll come around and get you, 'key?" He nodded at this without quarrelling one bit, a nice change to the earlier Edward, and a bit unnerving, I liked his quarrelling – even though I would never admit that, to anyone.

"Just…" I mumbled. "Stay there." I know, repeating myself, what was wrong with me, but I guess my nerves had caught up, and I didn't really want to step out of the car. It felt like I was baring my soul now, the person which first stated that being impulsive was fun and joy giving and made you live a longer life was so full of nonsense that it probably seeped out of his ears, it only gave you stress issues and an early aged cardiac arrest.

Swallowing thickly I grabbed the handle of the door an turned the palm he could not see up into the sky and concentrated, closing my eyes I breathed in and out slowly for a few seconds and drew on the warm bubbly feeling. I found it almost instantly and I could feel it had been used. It felt like a sore muscle after a hard work-out session. I had never used my powers this much before but starting somewhere was never a negative thing. Pushing open the door I rose from the car and into the rain, but not a drop touched me, it fell around me instead. Looking up into the sky I took a breath from the Seattle air filled with the smell of cars, people and fast food restaurants before walking around the car to his side. Reaching out I grabbed the door handle and opened it for him before reaching a hand out to him in an invitation. "I am your personal umbrella for the evening Mr Cullen. I am the latest this season; a must have for all upper class gentlemen." Looking both amused and fascinated he took my hand and stood from the car, smacking the door closed and locking it with a click on the key. He looked up and at the water droplets just being pushed to the side right above us before looking back down at me. "Amazing." He mumbled. Rolling my eyes at him I took a better hold of his hand and started to walk over the street towards the restaurant. He opened the door for me and the second we were inside I let my upturned palm fall back by my side and let my power go. I felt sore, my insides felt sore, everything felt overused and so very tired. Letting out a big sigh I rubbed my temple a bit. "Bella?" Edward asked, "Are you not feeling well?" I just shrugged. "I'm fine." I mumbled; that's when I noticed he had not let go of my hand. I looked down at it for a second but he started forward and with my hand still held securely in his I had no choice but to follow him. He ordered our table and dragged me along like a ragdoll to a table in the far corner of the restaurant. The restaurant looked more than ridiculously expensive and I gave him a look as he sat down across from me. The waiter pushed the menus into our faces before asking if we wanted red or white vine to the meal. Bewildered I stuttered out that water would be more than fine. The waiter gave a small bow before walking away leaving us to our own devices. The second he was gone I leaned forward over my menu. "Edward, this is ridicules – we could just have bought sushi at the store or something, we can't eat here." He grinned, "Of course we can, and for the record; all the stores are closed at this hour on a Saturday." Huffing at him I sat back and looked over the menu and tried to pick something with the least extra they had and just fish, or crab or _lobster_. God, what kind of place was this?

Feeling very indisposed I contracted a bit in on myself in my seat, trying to look as small and insignificant as possible so the dressed up people in this restaurant would just overlook me on a quick glance.

The waiter returned with decanter of iced water and two tall delicate glasses, he positioned the glasses before filling them, babbling on and on about today's speciality and what kind of vine just fit perfectly with the dish. "I think I will just take a sushi menu with as much raw fish as you can legally put on the dish substituted for rice and the other vegetables." The water stopped his administrations in the middle of filling Edward's glass and stared at me. "Pardon my manners, I'm pregnant, it's an insatiable urge I have been having since the child made its presence known." He looked at my hand. "We are planning the wedding, winter ceremony." He glanced to Edward and continued filling the glass. "Just a salad with raw salmon for me please." Edward look extremely amused on the other side of the table.

The waiter sat the decanter down on the table, said it would be right up and walked towards the kitchen. "Pregnant and son to be married?" he asked, amusement colouring his tone, deciding to just ignore this I started talking.

"So," I started, fiddling with the napkin lying next to my plate. I didn't regret it, it just wasn't the best idea I had ever had. Or, you know, more like the most stupid idea ever put into practice, but what was the difference?

"Two questions?" he asked. I looked up at him before giving him a curt nod. "You don't have to be so nervous." He said, smiling. I gave a small shrug at that. "I guess it's just the fact that I have never showed that to anyone, it's a defence mechanism of some kind." He nodded then, "It's a sensible defence mechanism at least." My lips spread into a small smile, I could get used to this new Edward. "I will try to supress my instincts to hit you opposite the head with my plate and run for the hills then, so fire away." He snorted before folding his hands and putting his elbows on the table, seeming to be deep in contemplation.

The silence stretched on as he stared at me and after a while I couldn't help but squirm a bit in my seat, starting to feel a bit more then uncomfortable with the gazing. Suddenly his arms went down; hands flat upon the table top. He leaned forward and opened his mouth seemingly ready to speak, I leaned forward a bit too just to be prepared for his question but before even a small sound could leave his mouth- "Here is your food!" The waiter said making both of us pull away from the table. "Sorry about the small wait, it was a bit of a delay in the kitchen. For your patience I have picked out a bottle of vine on the house." Glancing at the watch on the wall I had spotted when we came in I noticed the time indeed had been flying since we put in our order. "That is perfectly all right, we barely noticed, and we are driving home so you really don't have to-"

"Oh no Miss, we insist, if you do not drink the bottle here you are more than welcome to bring it with you home. Now, if there is anything I can do for you just give me a call. Enjoy your meal!" And he swept away in the most elegant swoop of his legs and spine I had ever seen. What kind of dynamics was in the body of a waiter? It was like watching a man in which the legs was not attached to the upper part of the body. Shaking my head at the waiter and the now bottle of wine on out table, which I at least was not old enough to drink something hit me. "How old are you Edward?" I blurted out to him.

The smile which had been there earlier came back and he looked at me as though I was his private comedian for the evening. "That was unexpected." He said to me leaning forward in his seat. "I guess it just didn't hit me earlier." I shrugged, feeling a blush crawl up my neck and settle in my cheeks as flaming red tomatoes on a hot summer day in Italy. I tried my best to ignore my uncontrollable bodily-functions as his smile just seemed to grow at my red face. "I'm 17." He stated. I couldn't help but obviously roll my eyes at his undisguised and feeble attempt at avoiding the question. He just grinned wider at me. "How long have you been 17, Mr Cullen?" I asked again his smile shrinking a bit but still remaining as a small curve of his lips.

"Dose my age matter?" He finally asked in a flirtatious tone tilting his head to the left. I sagged a bit forward in my seat and looked down at my food, grabbing my fork. It was sushi alright, a lot of unidentified fish on rice and seaweed. Putting my elbows on the table I lifted my head and looked back to him. "No.." I said and pointed my fork at him. "but you know, curiosity is a curse and I got that embedded into my backbone so I can't help myself. And who knows, I may be sitting across a person who actually lived through the 80's without smoking pot and playing an acoustic guitar with flowers painted on it." His expression said it all. "Holy crow," I muttered. "You did smoke pot in the 80's." he cracked a wider smile; I have no idea why though. "Ok, so the 80's, wonderful, just peachy," I glanced down at my food and stabbed a piece of salmon, leaving behind the little dot of rice. "60's and 70's – don't tell me you wore those horrid disco pants?" He raised his hands in surrender. "You did! I really hope you have pictures of this somewhere because that has got to be something to see." I couldn't help but laugh at just the thought of it. "You know the worst part? I bet you looked devilishly handsome in those pants, as you and your family do in everything else." Popping the fish in my mouth after having waved it around in the air for a while I finally noticed how hungry I really was. Making a small humming noise in the back of my throat I swallowed and plucked another piece of fish – this one unknown to me – off my plate and pointed at him. "40's? What about that time – the suits? That has got to have been a stylish time." He nodded. "It was a very stylish time." Putting the fish in my mouth I chewed, looking at him as closely as I could; trying to put his face into a time period. He on his part stared at my mouth, when I swallowed his eyes just about trailed the fishes progress down my throat. Clamping my hands together under my chin I smiled at him. "I give up – what time-period are you from good sir?" a small pause before he answered.

"I was born in Chicago in 1901." The fish on its way to my mouth halted in its step, "Hmm…" I muttered, before continuing to eat, making a movement with my hand for him to continue with his story. He smiled a tiny smile, probably at my carefully masked face, only showing patience and an unsurprised facade. "Carlisle found me in a hospital bed the summer of 1918. It was the time of the Spanish influenza, it was killing me."

I grimaced at that, feeling with him. It couldn't have been easy in a time like that, no help to get and the only thing you could do was to lie there and wait for death to take you away. He smiled at me and reached over, placing his hand lightly atop of mine, he carefully turned my hand over and grabbed a hold of the tip of one of my gloved fingers; he glanced up; silently asking for permission. Giving him a small nod he took of my glove and positioned it next to my hand before starting to play with my fingers in a lazy manner, keeping his eyes on my face.

"I don't remember it well – human memories tend to fade with time." He seemed lost in his own world as he played with my fingers and continued on. "I do remember how it felt though, when Carlisle saved me. It's not an easy thing, not something you easily forget."

"What about your parents?" I asked, he seemed to shake himself out of his own mind and smiled at me, gently and a bit sadly. "They had already died from the disease. I was alone. That was why he chose me in the first place. The epidemic had caused chaos, and in the disorder of the hospital no one would ever realize I was gone."

I chewed my fish a bit longer than necessary before asking.

"How did Carlisle… well… save you? How does that part work for you?"

A few seconds passed in silence before he answered.

"It was difficult for him. Not many of my kind have the restraint necessary to change another. But Carlisle, well, you have met him; he has always been and will probably always be the most humane, the most compassionate of us… I don't think you can find a man or woman like him throughout all of history." He paused there, his hand pausing in its playing of my fingers. "For me, the change was merely very, very painful." He looked into the distance before shaking himself out of it and continued to play with my fingers.

I was contemplating weather it was a good idea or not to ask how one become a vampire; if it was like the legend with exchange of blood and what not or if it was completely different and the myth was far out there. But he, to my surprise, continued talking. "He acted from loneliness. That's usually the reason behind the choice. I was the first in Carlisle family, or coven, as others of my kind call it. He found Esme soon after though. She fell from a cliff. They brought her straight to the hospital morgue and declared her dead, even though her hear, miraculously, her heart was still beating."

Swallowing the crab in my mouth I grabbed my glass of water. "So you have to be dying, to become a-" I cut myself of before I could say the last word as a waiter hurried by, smiling at us. "Sorry." I muttered, turning back to him. But he waved me of. "No, you don't have to be dying, that's just Carlisle. He would never condemn someone to this if he had another choice." Edward sounded so respectful, and I could see he tried to live up to Carlisle image. "But it's easier he says; if the blood is weak."

_It must be nice to have someone to look up to like that, teach you all he knows, companionship so to speak. _

My mind supplied bitterly. I tried to shake away the feeling slowly bubbling up in me, a bit of jealousy, I couldn't help it, he had a family, and they had all gone through the same thing some way or another. They were in the same boat so to speak.

"What about Emmet and Rosalie?" I hastily asked, before he could call me out on the emotion which most likely had been visible on my face.

"Carlisle brought Rosalie to our family next. I didn't realize till much later that he was hoping she would be to me what Esme was to him – he was and still is very careful with his thoughts around me."

"Oh, I had forgotten about that." I muttered, giving him a small smile. He was bit closed in on this subject, but he kept talking none the less, smiling.

"I guess it would be easy for you to forget, wouldn't it?" I gave him a nod.

"But Rosalie, she was never more than a sister to me. It was only two years later that she found Emmett. She was out hunting – we were in Appalachia at the time – and found a bear about to finish him off. She carried him back to Carlisle, more than a hundred miles, afraid she wouldn't be able to do it herself." He focused at my face then.

"It's strange. That trip for Rosalie must have been extremely hard, but she said she saw something in his face that made her strong enough to do it, but your scent." He breathed in through his nose. "it's utterly intoxicating, but not in a way that makes me want to eat you. It's like smelling something mouth-watering, but you do not want to eat it, just, breath it in all the time."

"Strange."

He nodded. "Strange indeed."

Another small silence. "And ever since that, they have been together. Sometimes they live together separately from us, as a married couple. But the younger we pretend to be, the longer we can stay in any given place. Forks seemed perfect, so we all enrolled in high school." He laughed. "I suppose we'll have to go to their wedding in a few years, _again_." I too, laughed at that. Wedding every 10 years or so; at least it shows they still love each other.

"What about Alice and Jasper?" I asked, figuring they were next on the list.

"Alice and Jasper are two very rare creatures so to speak. They both developed a conscience, as we refer to it, with no outside guidance. Jasper belonged to another… family, a _very_ different kind of family during the first years of this life. It made him depressed and after some time he left and wandered on his own. Alice found him, saw him in a vision. Saw that he was looking for her before he even knew he was himself. She also saw Carlisle and our family and they came together to find us." As he stopped something popped into my head.

"How many is there of your kind, exactly? Are there a lot?"

He shook his head. "No, not many. But most won't settle in any one place. Only those like us, who've given up hunting humans, can live together with humans for any length of time. We've only found one other family like ours, in a small village in Alaska. We lived together for a time, but there were so many of us that we became too noticeable so we split up."

"What about the rest of your kind?"

"Nomads for the most part, we've all lived that way at times, but it gets tedious, like anything else. But we tend to run into these groups of people from time to time, we all prefer to stick to the North."

I nodded. "Remember that you promised to show me why sometime." I grinned at him.

He nodded. "What about Alice, did she come from another family like Jasper?"

"Alice is kind of a mystery because she doesn't remember her human life at all. And she doesn't know who created her. She awoke alone. Whoever made her just walked away, and none of us understand why; or how the person could. If she hadn't had her other sense, if she hadn't seen Jasper and Carlisle and known that she would someday become one of us, she probably would have turned into a total savage."

I took a few seconds to proses this as I chewed on something spongy, no idea what it was but it taste alright so why not. Swallowing I put my fork down. "So, when you are turned it's, well, difficult?" I didn't really know how to phrase the question.

"Yes, it's kind of like a burning thirst and the only thing you want to do is stop the burning, and with our added strength and speed, it's not so easy to stop us, makes it a lot easier." I nodded at him, to show that I understood. I had a lot to take into consideration. Suddenly something hit me though. "Oh shoot, I really need to call Charlie!" Grabbing into my purse I found my cell and stood. "I'll be back in a minute 'key?" he nodded and I hurried away to the nearest bathroom. I found it pretty quickly and hurried into the ladies room which had one toilet, no stalls. Locking the door I hurriedly called Charlie's number, he picked up on the third ring. "Charlie Swan."

"Hi dad it's me, are you in front of the TV?" I asked, knowing the storm outside had become much worse. "Bella, shouldn't you be back soon?" I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "Yes dad, that's why I'm calling. Turn to the news channel." I instructed. "There is a bit of rough whether here at the moment and I don't think it's safe to drive in this. We hoped it would pass but it hasn't yet. Are they saying anything about it?" I asked him. "They are saying it's going to get worse before it gets better and that it was unexpected." He mutters.

"I don't think we can drive in this." I said to him again. "We talked about just staying over at the apartment the Cullen's have here in the city and then heading home first thing in the morning if it's ok with you. We figured it was safer than driving. And yes dad, before you ask, we are just friends, no more than that and if we stay here for the night we are staying in separate bedrooms – don't worry." Silence fell over the line. "Did you know about this storm before you left?" His voice was a bit gruff. I couldn't help but sigh. "They said something about it being a possibility this morning but that it probably wouldn't hit before late afternoon tomorrow. I brought a bag just in case something like this was to happen."

A bit of mumbling on the other end of the line, "'key, separate rooms though!" he said a bit louder. "Of course dad, we will keep a close eye on the storm and if it subsides we may be able to leave today."

"I guess." He sighed.

"I'll see you either tonight or tomorrow, I can send you a text message when I know for sure."

"'Key Bells, bye."

"Bye dad."

I hung up and looked up at the bathroom I was in. Taking a few quick steps I stood in front of the mirror and checked myself over. I looked ok, not too shabby, but it could have been better – as always. Leaning forward I moved my hand up and the automatic sink started splashing water onto my hand. I snatched it away in fright and just about jumped half a meter in the air, my heart hammering like a humming birds in my chest. With a crash my phone went to the floor, ignoring it I hurried over and snatched out a paper towel before trying to dry of the droplets on my exposed hand. Closing my eyes I waited for the change, but after a few seconds and nothing happening I breathed out in relief, I had been on time. My glove, where was my glove? I looked around myself in panic before I remembered that I had left it on the table. Sighing out but feeling extremely stupid I slouched a bit forward. "I'm and idiot." I muttered. And that is when I spotted my cell phone. Hurriedly snatching the device up with my gloved hand, my other hand safely tucked to my body I checked it over. It was no longer on, the screen was cracked straight over and then some and it would not react. "Oh, just great, exactly what I needed." I said into the silence.

Shaking my head I turned to the door and nearly jumped out of my skin when the sink started again. "For the sake of all that is holy," Breathing in and out to slow my racing heart I glared at the stupid device. "You are mocking me; that is exactly what you are doing."

Turning away I walked to the door and out into the hallway which still was empty of people. Keeping my exposed hand close to me I walked through the room, keeping my eyes on everything water before finally arriving at the table.

Putting my phone down next to my plate I grabbed the glow and put it on, feeling much more relaxed now that it was back on my hand. "Is everything alright?" I looked up at Edward.

"Yeah," I muttered, trying to pull myself together when I noticed my voice was shaking a bit. "Everything is fine; I just, almost had a bit of an incident that's all, nothing to worry about." I gave him a smile. Looking at me worriedly he glanced down at my phone, quirking an eyebrow at me the next second. "Fell to the floor. I don't know if I will be able to salvage it, I'll have to see later, I promised to send a text to Charlie so it has to work."

"We should cross our fingers then, because it does look like your old friend has kicked the bucket." I could see he had problems with holding in his laughter, that idiot. "Yeah yeah, rub it in." But I couldn't help but crack up myself at the utter silliness of our conversation turn.

.

"See! It's working!" I called to Edward from the living room into the kitchen. I had fruitlessly for the last 15 minutes tried to patch my phone back together, and finally, with some of Rosalie's duct tape which had been laying around the apartment it worked. Was not so easy to actually see what was on the screen, but it was still functioning – and I do not have money for a new phone so this would just have to do.

We had gotten back to the apartment about 30 minutes ago after talking rubbish for 40 minutes at the restaurant after I came back from my talk with Charlie. The storm was worse and it kept going that way so driving home was out of the question. Leaning over my phone I tried to the best of my ability to send a text message without to many errors telling Charlie about the information. "Just barley." Edward said, sitting down beside me and looking at my phone. "That phone will not last the weak, and you are lucky if you can receive calls with it, or send the text message at all." Hitting send I waited before it made the little pinging sound of a sent text message, a familiar and nice sound from years of friendship between me and the little pink device. "Still works like a charm." I said, smiling at him. Grabbing hold of the glass of water he had gotten from the kitchen for me I took a small sip. It wasn't salt but it would have to do. "Thank you." I indicated to the glass to show what I meant. An incoming message sound from my slightly cracked phone. "See, he says its fine and that he will see me tomorrow, and you tell me I have bad luck." I grinned over at him, putting my phone down on the table-top beside the glass of water. Silence fell over us as we sat there on what was probably a very expensive couch. It was in what looked like grey wool. The entire apartment was beautiful, with tastily decorated rooms, all floating into each other, the colours mixing together perfectly and making the walk between rooms go without a hitch. It was in the upper class part of Seattle, of course, and lavishly decorated. "I have a feeling," I said as I sat there looking at everything, "That you guys have expensive taste in furniture." Looking over at him I tried to gauge his reaction to see if I had offended him, he just grinned over at me. "All of us have lived many years and there is a lot of things we don't need like food and health insurance, all those things normal humans use money on daily, and over the years the money has just been in the bank accounts. Pair this with Alice's knack for predicting the stock market and suddenly you have an amount of money and nothing to really do with it." I nodded in understanding. "I guess that is fair, but you know," I continued, giving him a small glare. "I have money to pay for my own things, no matter how persistently you believe that I don't."

"I know you do." He said not elaborating or adding anything, just smiling. I couldn't help but sigh at him. "I refuse to let you keep this up, and if you do I will have to call Mr or Mrs Cullen, or something, because it is ridicules." He just laughed at me. "Oh shut up." I muttered, giving him a little push. Another silence stretched on and during that silence, slowly a very big monstrous pink elephant emerged in the corner and kept insistently bugging at my brain. "You know," I muttered, wringing my hands in my lap before taking my feet up under me and sitting Indian style on the couch, continuing to wring my hands. "is this ok?" I asked, gesturing to my position, he just nodded. He was himself sitting with one foot underneath himself and his arm leaned on the back of the couch supporting his head towards me. "You never asked those questions." I finally muttered out. "No I didn't, I needed some time to think." I nodded, looking towards him.

"So, have you thought?"

"I have." He concluded. Staring at him I waited for an elaboration. "The first question I want answered is," he let it hang, grinning at me. "You are doing that just to test my patience." I muttered. "Sorry." He muttered, still giving me that look, just staring at me. I had to supress the need to check my face for anything, I knew it wasn't anything there; he was just doing it to put me on edge. "To what extent can you use your power?"

"Well," I muttered, turning my gaze towards the glass, pointing my hands towards it as subtly as I could I concentrated and started extracting bubbles of water, making them float around us where we sat on the couch. I looked over at him, he had his eyes set on the bubbles as they floated around him, grinning like an idiot, in the pit of my stomach I felt butterflies starting to form, and I could do absolutely nothing to make them go away. I felt a blush creep up onto my cheeks and then he was looking at me, or more like trying to smoulder me to death with his eyes. I am almost ashamed to admit it made my blush even darker. "Look," I muttered, trying to distract both him and my own brain so it would stop sending me pictures of kissing Edward. Opening my mouth I snapped it shut over a little bubble. "I can drink water out of mid-air." Swallowing I grinned up at him. "Yes you can." He muttered back at me. He held my gaze for a bit before I broke away, moving the bubbles back to the glass. Clearing my throat I leaned back. "So, what's the second question you have?"

"It's a combined question, is that all right?" I considered it; he had answered so much of what I wanted to know today that I kind of owed him; darn me and my sense of honour. I gave him a short nod before bracing myself for the unavoidable. "How did you become what you are and why did you come to Forks?" he asked carefully. I felt my muscles tense up as I uselessly tried to make them relax. "Well," I muttered in a strained voice. Licking my lips I looked at him before shifting my position, folding my legs underneath me and leaning on the backrest, supporting my head on my hand, much like him. "It's a difficult question to answer." Glancing away from him I tried to figure out how to explain this, a few minutes went by before I looked back to him and begun carefully. "What I am, it's kind of… well… we don't bite each other, most certainly not. And you want me to be honest?" he nodded. "I don't know." I stated after a little hesitation on my part. I saw the surprise on his face. "some places states that it lays dormant within us from the moment we are born, other places says it's a selection done by magic, other places again tells of some sort of worm crawling into our beds at night and making us into what we are. And my species, we don't meet, we don't, well, I don't know where in the world there is another one of my kind, I don't…" I had to supress my tears, blinking a few times. It had been an emotionally difficult day, I had been on my guard for ages now, around every being I met, to let something out was like tapping water out of a tank with a bit too much in it, moving it a little further away from the brink of bursting, relieve a bit of the pressure.

"I have no one to talk to and it just happened." I looked up at him; he had the saddest expression on his face. "It just happened." I muttered again, feeling tears. "And it was horrible, it _is_ horrible." I couldn't help but sniffle, I felt like such a cry baby but just the thought of that day. "I was terrified. No, I was beyond that, it was and still is the single most frightening experience of my entire life. And you know," I said as the moisture in my eyes started trickling down my cheeks. "I kept hoping – and almost praying, I am not religious in the best of times but that time I almost turned to God," I lifted one of my hands to brush away the tears as they slowed down. "hoping that maybe, _maybe_, it was just some sort of sick prank, desperate for it not to be real." I barked out a humourless laugh. "But no, I was not that lucky, and since then things have gone worse and worse." Stopping there I lifted both my hands to try and rub away the waterfall of stupid tears. "I'm sorry." I muttered, laughing a bit. "you must think I am such a cry baby." He leaned a bit forward and took a hold of my face with both hands, brushing away my tears with his thumps. "I don't think that." He said with sincere conviction before he leaned forward. I closed my eyes, waiting and wondering what he was aiming for.

Then I felt his lips on my forehead. A gentle kiss; just a brush of the lips before he moved away, looking at my face as I opened my eyes. "Thank you." I muttered leaning a bit back again. He let go but didn't move away, staying close.

"It happened," I continued, "And I moved on with life, living where I lived was ideal – I didn't have many worries about being exposed and things had an upwards turn for a while there." I left out all about my first full moon, my powers coming and the crazy stuff which would give away too many clues. "And then, one day, I thought I was exposed – busted so to speak. I panicked," I paused, remembering the sprinklers, the kid, the running, the panic that had taken hold of me. "I came back home and I said I wanted to leave, come here to live with my father." I felt a shiver run down my spine at the memory. "my mom and Phil was newlywed so she didn't ask nearly as many questions on why I wanted to just get up and move to my father so suddenly." I guess I was a bit bitter about that, she should have asked. "I knew it would be difficult, it still is, and now I am begging to think I may have overreacted and that I probably should have saved myself the trouble and stress moving here has cost me." I fell silent for a few seconds.

"And if I die young it's because my heart can't handle the stress of this idiotic idea anymore."

.

I couldn't even remembering going to bed the night before as I rolled over in bed, burying a bit deeper underneath the covers to trap the warmth. "You're awake."

I heard Edward say into the room towards me from somewhere in front of the bed. Opening one eye I looked at him, he was grinning at me from a big comfy looking chair positioned in the corner next to a book shelf of which he had one of the books in his lap. "Have you been watching me sleep again?" I muttered in a gruff voice. He had blurted that out last night, or, that he had been watching me and then we had moved over on the sleep fact and that he don't sleep. And what is there to do at night anyways but watch me sleep like I am a god damn slide show?

He grinned at me. "I knew it," I muttered into the duvet. "small towns are always full of crazy and here is the proof." With that I turned over and buried deeper underneath. "It's 10 o'clock." He said from his corner and I shot up like someone had poked me with a needle.

"And you didn't think it would be a good idea to wake me when my alarm went off?" I muttered, yawning and rubbing my eyes as I pushed the duvet off my legs and swung them down on the side of the ridiculously tall bed. "The phone didn't go off so I lost track of time." At that he just got a suspicious glare. _Liar liar pants on fire_.

"It's not that broken." I muttered, standing up on my unsteady feet, stumbling past him in my sweatpants and t-shirt combo and grabbing my bag. "I vote for we get cracking right after I am finished in the bathroom." I said looking over at him. "That's fine by me." He answered, closing his book. "I'll try to be speedy." I said, giving him a smile as I hurried into the attached bathroom.

.

We came to a stop in front of my house, Charlie's cruiser not insight. It was surprisingly enough not raining. "I guess the storm needed some of that water." I muttered with a smile. "And I am never agreeing to go to Seattle with you again if I end up with a whole bunch of things I didn't ask for every time." I said to Edward as he stepped out of the car on his side. I was actually a bit pissed off at him about that still. I had money enough for what I needed.

He just gave me a wicked grin. "A may just sell it all on eBay and transfer it back to his account." I muttered to myself.

"That won't work." He grinned over at me, moving to get the bags and everything out of the backseat. "You should really get rid of that super hearing; it's so not in fashion this year. Alice should know this, shouldn't she? And I thought she was a fashionista." I muttered at him before grabbing a few bags, he taking the rest, and my overnight bag. Walking up to the house I locked us in and we walked up to my room to dump the bags and everything else. Walking back down we stopped on the in front of his car.

"All in all," I started. "It was a nice trip, thank you for joining me, I really enjoyed myself." I said, feeling the blush covering my cheeks a bit. "You are more than welcome he muttered. Leaning a bit forward I engulfed him in a hug he returned. "See you in school tomorrow?" I asked, pulling away. "Yes." He grinned down at me.

Taking a few steps back I watched him take a hold of the handle of his car door. "Sleep tight." He said, smiling at me. "I'm getting a padlock!" I called as he slid into his car, started the engine, backed out and speed away.

_So, here is part 2, of this chapter, another one of those informative never-ending rants – but it has to be done sometimes so feel free to come with criticism or any other forms of feedback. ^^ (I have also used some parts of the original book here – but I bet you noticed, even though I am not a big fan of doing that I felt it was needed.)_

_Ok, so from here on out the story will take a turn for the more... adventurous so to speak. Bella has big plans for the upcoming full moon and there will be changes happening, big changes, and all this pent up frustration has to go somewhere sooner or later, so some changes are in order and will come. (: _

_I am going back to school and there will be at least two weeks before the next update because of mock exams – but I will write it at the first and best opportunity! _

_Thank you all for the wonderful feedback for the last chapter – it was very motivating and extremely nice. And now I am grinning like an idiot. _

_I really hope you all liked this chapter. ^^ _

_Love Anqeole_

_Btw: if someone wants to beta this thing my PM box is always open :)_


	14. Chapter 13

**Authors note:**

Hi! So, my excuse is that I have been having some computer problems, it's a school computer so I had to go in at the end of the year and get everything deleted (I saved everything on an external hard-drive of course), including all the programs (deleted – not saved on an external hard-drive), so now I am using a crappy writing program because I haven't acquired the money yet to buy a new version and the computer really sucks so this is not a fortunate situation.

But enough of that! Here is Chapter 13, you may also have picked up on the fact that I have replaced Chapter 1 – this because the first few chapters are really horrible and it shames me to have them there – I really don't like them, so I am rewriting them! With every new chapter I will repost and old one until I am satisfied or lose my patience. :)

With that said I want to address another matter entirely. Thank you all so much for the reviews! I just, I fell of my chair, literally – I usually answer them personally but I figure it would be best to post as fast as I could and then thank you all here. :3

And I just felt the need to answer not a question, but something brought up by **EmoImmortal** (Hi! *waving* :D), you asked how Edward could not have figured out that she was a mermaid yet with his brain - and the brain of 6 other vampires to help as well. You already pointed out an important part of it, he was human once, and I think, even though in the real books Mrs Meyer makes them very infallible (and that's fine) I want them to be a bit more human for this, or this story would have been over Chapters ago.

And taking that into account, I also want to point out that I was much younger when I worked this logic out so it do not completely, well, seem believable, but that's just the way it is.

Trying to see it from a different perspective you can look at it like this:

have you ever played a game where you get a card taped to your forehead with either a famous person, a tv-show or a thing and you are supposed to ask one question every round to figure out what it is? (I suck at this game btw), I imagine the Cullen's have a bit of the same problem. They are quite old, all of them, and a mermaid is not the first to cross once mind. I am guessing they think more, elemental manipulator or shape shifter or something else in that direction, it's like having that stupid card right in front of you, you have it on the tip of your tongue, but just can't remember what it is. Of course, they won't stay this way for long, just long enough to show that they too are human and have faults.

Well this has been the longest ars note ever (pardon the French), let's get a move on shall we? ^^

And if you don't like the direction I'm going in, something is written incorrectly (I know it is, but something painfully annoying (that the stupid, idiotic, horrible writing program haven't managed to fish out) – I still don't have a beta and I'm not that good at correcting when I can't take a break and get back to the chapter a weak later) then you can leave a review or send me a PM, or anything else for that matter, I'm always happy to talk :) (I bet you already had guessed that though since I _still_ haven't managed to shut up...)

Since it's summer I will try to update as often as I can, since I'm only working this holiday anyways. ^^

Love

Anqeole

PS: I have to warn you though – I have gotten an unhealthy addiction to the "a song of ice and fire" series by George R.R. Martin and can't seem to stop reading them.. O.O

**.**

**Chapter 13: Sinking to a new level of strange**

"This is a surprise!" I called out to Edward who was standing by his Volvo in my driveway, looking as dashing as he did last night. "What brings you here this early in the morning?" I asked, locking up the door, opening my umbrella and walking towards him. "Firstly to deliver this back to you," he said, holding out the umbrella I had forgotten at the store. I am not going to even ask how he got it back.

"I will just keep forgetting it." I mumbled. I had felt horrible after losing it the first time around but at the same time a bit relived so that I didn't have to worry about it anymore, no more feeling bad about walking around with an umbrella which could pay my health insurance if I sold it on eBay, and believe me – I had checked the _umbrella_.

Ignoring my mumbling he stepped over to the door and opened it for me. "I was hoping you wanted to ride with me to school today." He sound very confident, but his face betrayed him, he was actually afraid that I would say no. "Thank you, I would like that very much." I said, tilting my head a bit to hide my smile from him.

Walking forward I sat down in the car, closing the door he was around the car in a flash and seated in the driver's seat. Strapping myself in I tugged a bit at my jacket sleeves, I felt very self concise today. I was wearing a pair of black jeans for once, which I hadn't done in a while I had just about lived in sweat pants when going to school, I was also wearing a V-neck brown knitted sweater with a scarf to top it off. I had actually bothered this morning and tried to figure out what fit together. It felt strange, but a good kind of strange.

Edward backed out before speeding towards the school. "Where's your family today?" I asked; they usually drove together to school didn't they?

"They took Rosalie's car today." He shrugged; decreasing the insane speed he was driving at before swinging into the parking lot of Forks high, that's when I spotted Rosalie and the others. They were all coming out of what looked to be a brand new red BMW convertible. "Ostentatious, isn't it?" he asked, I glanced over at him; he was grinning like an idiot. I pointed a finger at the car and turned to him, noticing now that we were only parked a few empty slots away. "If she has that why does she, and the others for that matter, ride with you?"

He grinned. "My car's not good enough is it?" he asked, teasingly. "Well, now that you're on the subject…" I trailed of, giving him a grin of my own. He glanced over at Rosalie's car and his retreating family again. "Like I said, it grabs the attention of just about everyone, we _try_ to blend in and a car like that doesn't help."

I couldn't help but laugh at him. "Sorry to say it but you don't succeed." Taking a hold of the big umbrella I got out of his car and walked behind it, meeting him at the rear and lifting the umbrella a bit so he could duck underneath. "So why did Rosalie and the others take her car today, if it's so much more conspicuous?" He stuffed his hands in his pockets and rocked a bit backwards on his heels. "Rosalie isn't exactly happy with me at the moment, Emmett follows her lead and Alice and Jasper are giving me time to get to know you better." I tried to suppress the blush but didn't succeed by any margin.

"I hope you don't mind me asking but what did you do to get her so enraged at you?" I already had a guess as to what. "I am doing it right now." He answered.

"She isn't happy you're spending time with me… Let me guess, she thinks I'm a liability." I looked up at him as he nodded. "We had a split in the family, she did not agree with Alice, Carlisle, Esme and I on how to handle the situation which was you after you shouted at us – or, me – underneath the gym roof." I fell silent for a few seconds before I felt a cold shiver run down my spine. Turning my head my eyes clashed with Rosalie's ice-cold once, glaring at me. "She wanted to kill me off, didn't she?" I asked him in my coldest voice. "Yes." He muttered. Slowly my lips spread into a cold smile before I lifted my hand and gave her a wave. "Well aren't you a charmer Rosalie." I mutter towards her. As I smiled at her I saw her eyes widen and that's when I noticed the slight tingly feeling in my face. Hastily wiping the smile of I turned to Edward. "I'm sure she just wants to protect you guys." I mumbled, rubbing a hand over my forehead, not meeting his eyes. Shaking myself a bit I finally looked back up at his face.

"If you had decided to kill me off I would be dead and buried by now, I may be a bit harder to beat down then a normal human, but all you guys against me, no, I'm just not that though." He gave me a grave look. "I wouldn't have let that happen." He muttered. That's when I finally noticed how close he really was, and that was also the moment I felt eyes on us, many many eyes. The others had started to arrive.

"They're all staring aren't they?" I asked feeling a blush creeping up my neck towards my cheeks. He just grinned back at me that idiot. "Yes they are." Looking away I gave his arm a slight push. "I have to get rid of you, you're just like Rosalie's car, not a chance of blending in." we started forward as he laughed a bit at my joke.

They were all staring, and not subtly either. Finally arriving on the other side of the lot we ran into Jessica by the entrance to my first class. "Jess," I said; giving her the best smile I could. "Good morning Jessica." Edward added next to me. Jessica just stared; she looked like a deer caught in the headlights of a truck. "Hi Bella… Edward… I'll see you in five?" she asked, giving me the most significant look I have ever seen, from anyone – how is that even possible? "Yes." I muttered. "I'll save you a seat." She said sternly before she disappeared into the crowd, probably to get her books. "I'm dead." I muttered when she was gone. "What am I going to tell her? She is going to think we had sex or something, and then she will twist this into something… something…" Then I noticed Edward was sniggering at me. "Don't you dare laugh at me, that girl is _viciou__s_!" I could _see_ he was quelling his laughter for God's sake. "You'll be fine, I'll see you at lunch?" he asked. "If I survive that long…" I muttered back as he ducked out from under my umbrella, sending me a last smile. "And you're a horrible actor!" I called out after him; the only answer I got was laughter and a wave.

.

It was just like my first day, only worse, now everyone was whispering behind my back about something that happened this morning, not about who I was or how I looked.

Now it was gossip. It was no questioning gazes. It was gazes showing astonishment, speculation and judgement. Feeling sapped of energy and will to be at school today at all I walked into Spanish; spotting Jessica the second I sat foot in the class I suppressed a sigh and walked over to her. Arranging my books on the desk I ignored her as I made everything ready for the class. "Oh, stop it!" I heard before I was spun towards Jessica. "You arrived with Edward Cullen today." She accused. I nodded. "Sssooo...?" she added. Lifting a hand I carded it through my hair. "I don't know what you are expecting it isn't much to say to be honest. We are friends."

She stared at me blankly before giving me a scowl. "So he just arrived at your doorstep this morning?"

"No, of course not. He asked me if he could join me in Seattle since he had to get a few things. I guess he felt sorry." She knew I was talking about our little falling out. "You went to Seattle together?" She didn't quiet shriek it but it was a very close thing. The teacher gave us a glare before continuing on with the lecture. "It wasn't like that. We talked out, cleared the air and now we are back to being friends." She seemed disappointed that is was not more juicy details to the story – not that I would tell her if it were, Jessica is great but she loves to gossip. "And that was it?" She asked. "Yeah."

"Do you like him?" I looked at her trying to figure out how to answer that. "Hm…" I muttered. "I don't know." I concluded. "I haven't really come around to that yet, I'll let you know when I do."

"You better." She grinned at me before turning to her Spanish book as I did. Did I like him? It wasn't really that easy to decide. I hadn't had any time to decide.

No. I hadn't decided yet.

Maybe it was for the best that I never really got around to that decision at all.

.

"I don't like people."

"Really now?" He asked as I sat down across from him in the cafeteria. "Why should I? They are nosy, obtrusive and judging beings with no concept of personal boundaries, or it's just something in the water here; I haven't decided yet."

He grinned at me. "I have missed your sense of humour." My fork halted a bit in its step as I felt something small twist in the pit of my stomach. Hoping he didn't notice – but doubting that he didn't – I continued the motion. I felt my cheeks warming a bit but tried to ignore it. "I would hope so, you are the only one around here which appreciate my unique talent." I sniffed arrogantly before grinning, turning back to my food. "I will keep appreciating it then."

Grabbing an apple he started tossing it and turning it in his hands while I kept eating in the comfortable silence.

As I sat there eating I couldn't help but think of how normal it all seemed, the entire situation seemed painfully human. If you overlooked my food and his lack of eating it were after all two friends having lunch together.

I couldn't help but grin, maybe things would go up from now on.

.

And I was right, it did go upwards. Things were calm and relaxing, since I knew what he and his family was he wasn't on such guard around me and they didn't know what I was but they knew enough to be relaxed around me too. Or, Rosalie still seemed to have a stick up her ars but I was starting to think that was just Rosalie.

But despite my surroundings and that they should make me smile and be happy I got twitchier as the weekend came closer. It was a full moon weekend after all.

Edward noticed, he even asked me about it once and I made up some mumbo jumbo about me and my dad visiting the Blacks this weekend. Which were true, we were going to their house for dinner on Friday – and I was worried, or, a bit worried, but the full moon night from Saturday to Sunday was what made me so twitchy and anxious.

Edward didn't like it of course, he asked if I was crazy and how in the world I thought it was a good idea to go back there after I almost died jumping off a cliff and I asked if he thought I was so stupid that I didn't know the risks and if he actually thought I wasn't going to be on my guard. The argument did not have much of a conclusion in the end but we settled on the truce that I would call if something happened, and call when I got home.

I knew he liked me, maybe more then he should, but I just had to keep him at a distance right now, even though my stomach had a tendency of producing a swarm of butterflies when he laughed at something I said or looked at me in just the right way.

But even though it was nice; time never seemed to be in my favour and Friday came running faster than Charlie when offered homemade macaroni and cheese.

.

Instead of feeling very much like a pregnant woman I felt angst filled, and restless, like I was waiting for something I didn't really look too much forward too.

In those moments, when your insides are just curled up into a little bundle of nerves and you just want to turn around in circles and scream for no apparent reason, that's the moments when it's the most hard to be around other people.

School was sheer torture. I just wanted to run into ever cupboard and empty classroom I saw and hide, just sit down under a desk and hug myself while rocking back and forth.

I know, it creates a very sad picture, but what can I say; I'm kind of a pathetic being.

I was sweating like a whore in church and by the time PE rolled around I had already in my own way run a marathon. Adding to the fact that the theme in today's PE actually was marathons didn't make this Friday much better.

Edward was waiting for me when I came walking out of PE, giving Jessica a smile as she passed I turned to Edward and indicated towards the parking lot, he lifted the umbrella for me to duck under and we started towards my car. I had now entrusted him with holding the umbrella, he was actually pretty good at it too even though today it made me a bit nervous.

"I need to talk to you." I started as we stopped for a car. I guess my tone made him pause because I felt his gaze on the side of my face as we kept walking. "Do I need to be worried?" he asked slowly and very calmly, he could never just say "'bout what?". As I had gotten to know him I had discovered that he had a rather funny sense of humour. Some jokes illustrated just how old he was and in what time he was raised, and it always cracked me up when one of those situations came along. But don't get me wrong, he lives in the 21-century, and his brain has caught up with that fact.

"No, it's nothing to worry about, I just…" I paused, wondering how to phrase this. "I need you to do me a favour if it isn't too much to ask."

We stopped by my car and he made a gesture for me to continue. "I'm… going away for some part of this weekend because of personal reasons. And, I just…" fiddling a bit with my keys I continued. "I need you to not come to my house this weekend. I need you to do something else and not give me a thought all weekend and just… do whatever you were doing before I came along for one weekend, I just… I'm not going to be home anyways, but it's just… it doesn't…" I heaved a sigh. "Bottom line; I'm not going to be home, I need you to not look for me and not come to my house, so; what do you say?"

It was a short pause. "I guess I will be having some free time this weekend." He mumbled. It felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

Even though I shouldn't have to ask him but at the same time I knew he always came over to my house, every night. And I had concluded that that was fine, but, you know, sometimes he was kind of a control freak; but all people are on their own things so I wasn't too scared about that little habit. I guess being a vampire had to get kind of tedious after a few decades in the business so why not look at people sleeping, it can't possibly be more boring than other things there is to do at night.

Off the record though, it was kind of cute, but I don't talk about that so don't get over excited.

"Then you need to promise me something in return though." My eyes narrowed at that. "That seems fair." I said cautiously. I had learned to never expect the expected but rather expect the un-expected and absurd from Edward. Because he was a funny person; and an absurd person with a wonderful sense of humour and could be so dry and old fashioned sometimes that I wanted to stuff cotton wool in my ears until he suddenly turned the coin and he just amazed me with his way of putting things in perspective. I hadn't seen that the first time I met him, but I guess that's what comes with getting to know a person. Hence forth, when he asked if you could make a promise on something, it was better to be a bit on guard and expect something either extremely normal or something very strange.

"Don't jump off any cliffs and promise me I will be seeing you here in this parking lot on Monday with all limbs intact, without an eye patch and with every hair in place; because if that's not the case, I'll look." His words held meaning. He would look. I already knew he would. Over the week his emotions had become very evident in the way he held the umbrella, asked if I wanted him to take my bag after lunch, the way he sat closer than usual. The way he looked at me, like he was trying to peel away all the lairs and bore his way into the very core of my soul. I didn't know what I wanted.

What I felt, how to react.

It was strange, but every emotion seemed to be submerged in water. Like they were dulled, drugged, packed into a thick lair of cotton.

I didn't like to share too much of my emotions, that was true, but as emotionally numb as I had been the last week wasn't normal, not even for me.

Thinking it over I gave him a smile. "I promise, and I guess I will be seeing you on Monday. Have a nice weekend Edward." I said and opened my car door and jumped in. "Good weekend Bella." He said, giving me an unreadable smile, handing me the umbrella before stepping away from my car and heading for the Volvo. Closing the thing carefully I got it in and closed the door before heading home. I just needed to keep bull focus, follow the plan, couldn't stray from this.

_You can do this_ I told myself over and over. _What's the worst thing that can happen?_

.

This is the worst thing in the world I thought, smiling tightly. Why did I agree to this? Oh, now I remember, to be nice – from tomorrow I am officially turning into a major capital B Bitch.

"It's going great dad." I mumbled, trying to make my strained smile as convincing as I could as we drove through La Push towards Jacobs house.

Thought I would get used to it but it just got worse and worse as we drove further into La Push. "I'm not overly fond of PE, but I have never been so there is nothing to do about that." I restrained myself from lifting my hand and clamping it over my mouth and nose in an attempt to block some of the smell out. Even though it did not lessen I found it became a bit more bearable. Hoping it would keep going in this direction I kept breathing deeply into my lungs. God – I could just about _taste_ it.

Charlie made a noise of affirmation in the back of his throat. Looking away from the road I looked out into the forest we passed at leisure's pace. Turning around a bend I felt myself stiffen a bit as I looked out upon the cliff where I had so 'gracefully' jumped into the open arms of the ocean.

I couldn't help but wonder if Paul had been hurt, deep down I hoped he had. I may be a nice person most of the time but if someone is chasing you to clamp a pair of sharp teethed jaws around your neck you don't wish them a happy life with prosperity and joy.

Oh no good sir, I am not _that_ kind.

"You have made friends?" He asked, breaking me out of my thoughts. I turned away from the window, looking over at him and giving him a small smile. "I have made friends."

"I heard you usually are with Edward Cullen in school." It wasn't a question; I stared at him but quickly regained my cool. "Dad…" I started but he cut me off before I could continue.

"I worry." He stated and the air in the car suddenly turned completely new levels of awkward.

Clearing my throat I looked at the road and the houses we were passing. "It's fine dad. Edward is my friend, and what everyone says about the Cullen's is a big load of-" I cut myself off before the word left my mouth. "They are nice people." I muttered instead.

"Always what I have said, Dr Cullen and Mrs Cullen is the most decent people I have met, never had a speck of trouble from the kids either." I couldn't help but grin, because Charlie was just wonderful sometimes, finally we were turning into Jacob and Billy's driveway. Opening the car door as Charlie cut the engine I opened the umbrella and stepped outside. The smell was stronger out here but I was now finding it to be bearable, not less horrifyingly disgusting though (I am beginning to think it never will be), but bearable none the less.

"Hey Bella!" I heard from the house. Turning I waved to Jacob as dad and I walked up to the house, Charlie walking past Jacob and saying hi to Billy as I walked under the roof over the doorstep and closed my umbrella. Standing on my tip toes and Jacob bending down I gave him a one armed hug, as I did though I had to stifle my instincts to jump back. Jacob did no longer smell of only sunshine and trees and well Jacob, he had the underlying smell of the werewolf's. As he pulled away from the hug he gave me a smile and I had to struggle to put one upon my own face. "It's good to see you Jacob." I said as he ushered me into the house and closed the door. "Hello Mr Black." I said, giving him a smile. "It's nice to see you Bella." When Charlie and I were out of our jackets and shoes Billy and Charlie went into the living room and me and Jacob headed into the kitchen. "Has the truck giving you any more trouble?" He asked as we sat down by the kitchen table, taking off my glows I lay them neatly beside my hands and folded them on the table top. "No, it's running great. I don't know what kind of magic you performed but I have concluded I will not be giving your name to the authorities for illegal sorcery, you are too valuable."

"That's good to hear, anything interesting happening at your end of town though? None of the Cullen's has taken a swipe at you yet I hope." I grinned, remembering back to the conversation we had the last time I was here. "We have actually worked out that conflict; or most of the conflict so that's a relief." I didn't look like he had the same opinion on that as I did but he didn't say anything so I continued. "But you know, Forks is Forks, there isn't very much exciting news I can give you." We fell silent and as Jacob looked out the window at the rain I looked at what was on the stove. It was two kettles; I could hear that both were simmering. It smelled like pasta sauce so I guess the other one was pasta. "I see you have discovered just about the only thing I can cook." I looked back to Jacob to see him watching me and probably had been for a while. "Pasta?" I asked, just for the confirmation that it was. "It's an old family recipe – made completely from scratch!" He sat straighter in his chair and brought a hand to his chest. "I'm sure it tastes great." I grinned at him as I pushed some hair which fell out of my hair bun behind my ear. "I can also make a pretty mean ham sandwich so you have to taste that in the near future as well."

"I will hold you to that; I am not one to pass up a ham sandwich." He gave me a look which made me pause. "You have lost weight since the last time you were here so I will hope not, or I will have to strap you down and force feed you. You're as thin as a rake!" I glance down at myself, maybe I had lost some weight. It didn't feel like it though. "Well if you compare me with you of course I'm thin! You're turning chubby Jake – maybe those ham sandwiches aren't so good for you after all."

"This is all muscles Bells, not an ounce of fat!" He flexed his biceps at me, grinning and looking very much like a pleased pup.

"You keep telling yourself that." I grinned back, grumbling something he stood and headed over to the stove and started stirring the sauce. "Dad! Charlie! Dinner is ready!" he called into the living room, standing I opened the cupboard and started taking out plates. It would be nice dinner I was sure, Jacob and Mr Black were just so warm people but the result of the dinner would probably not be as pleasant.

.

Mr Black kept sending me these looks through ought dinner, squirming in my seat I tried to eat as little as possible under Jacob's watchful eye and ignore Mr Blacks stares. We, or more they, talked about everything between heaven and earth which could be considered small talk. Laughed and chatted and had a great time while I stuffed down pasta and tried not to gag it up again. I knew I could keep it down over a certain amount of time but sooner or later it would come up again, I knew that. Sighing I took another mouthful of pasta, trying to chew as long as possible on one mouthful. The others were enjoying themselves, enjoying the pasta, the smells and each other. It made me a bit bitter; I am willing to admit that. And for the first time in a few weeks I really wished I was nothing special, no not special, nothing out of the ordinary. I wanted to be plain and boring and nothing. I wanted to be nothing. Swallowing I thought over the last few days and weeks, what had made me not wanting to be different?

The answer was simple and came to me as I swallowed another mouthful of pasta.

The Cullen's, of course it was the Cullen's. Those irritating little-.

It was always them; and one particular Cullen especially. That bastard, I will not think his name. He made me feel… satisfied with what I had, what I was.

That I wasn't an abomination; not something to look at as anything less than a human being.

Taking a large gulp of water I let the water stop the vomit which was on its way up and wash it back down into my up-roaring stomach. Laying my fork down as silently as I could I leaned a bit back in the chair and retreated into my own body for a bit. Have you ever been sick and just sat down on the couch or bed and felt what your body felt. Just feeling your stomach turn and flip and trying to calm it with shear wishful thinking because you just do not want the last piece of apple you just ate to come back up again because even if it's just a piece of an apple, vomiting is not a pleasant feeling, it feels like your stomach will come up with the rest of it and you think you will just never get the taste out of your mouth. The stomach-acid you both can feel on your tongue and just know are having a blast ruining your teeth.

Silence was what brought me back to the table and I startled out of my rather inattentive state. "You're looking a little pale there Bells." Charlie said worriedly, they had all stopped eating. Swallowing hard I gave him a weak smile. "I'm just not feeling so well, I think I'm getting a cold or something, it's nothing to worry about." Nodding Charlie turned to Billy and started talking animatedly but keeping an eye on me at the same time. Ignoring him and his antics I turned to Jacob. "I don't think you pasta is agreeing with my stomach, even though it was delicious." _Liar liar pants on fire_. Oh shut up.

"Thank you." He grinned at me before starting to tell me something about the rez and the school and so on. I nodded and muttered at the right places but my head was completely focused on my stomach and not vomiting before I got home.

.

After we had said goodbye and Charlie had made plans with Billy about a game and Billy had given me a searching look and I had gotten a hug from Jacob we got in the car and drove away, heading home at the same slow pace as we had come. I leaned back against the seat and breathed in and out, feeling the smell getting fainter as we drove towards the boarder separating Forks and La Push.

As I sat there with my eyes closed I thought of the difference in smell and the very distinct boarder in between them. It was probably the vampires which smelled in Forks since that was where the Cullen's were allowed to be. And I couldn't help – despite the fact that I was as religious as a rock as the result of being raised by a mother with a partly hippie view of the world – to praise whatever entity that listened in on me at that moment for the fact that Charlie never, ever decided to move to La Push. I would not have survived that, or maybe gotten my sense of smell permanently removed – either one works perfectly fine.

Sighing into the silence of the car I cracked on eye open and glanced at the darkness racing past us. Charlie and Bill had been talking about the snow coming any day now; I did not look forward to that, not one bit.

Spotting the Forks sign I braced myself for the change in scents and it hit me like a wall of flowers and rainbows. Oh good _God_ the _smell_. It had not been as bad as this the last time I was in La Push but now, it was like someone had stuck two rotten carrots into my two nose passages, and finally – _finally_ – I had been able to snatch them out. I felt my muscles just relaxing, and with relaxing muscles no longer on guard the inevitable happened. "Pull over." I said to Charlie in a frantic voice and clamped a hand over my mouth. He got the idea and stopped by the side of the road. Throwing open the door I got out and a bit off the road before hurling my guts out right there. I was just too much into it so to speak to notice the hands pushing my hair and holding it away from my face.

I almost cried when I didn't feel any rain. It wasn't _raining_.

Deciding that Charlie had had enough and did not need tears on top of it all I dried my mouth on the back of my hand (to be honest I couldn't even care about the fact that my hand was now full of bacteria from my own stomach – sue me if you find it so revolting) and slowly stood up on shaking legs. Taking a hold of my hair I put it over one of my shoulders. Charlie looked like he didn't know what to do with himself. "Thanks." I muttered as I walked back over to the car and sat down. Mermaid or not, vomiting was the same. My head was spinning as though I had been swirling in circles for the last 2 minutes. "We are going to the hospital." He stated; my head shoot up. "No." I stated, trying to look and sound like I was ok now. I had to get my legs into the car as he closed the door and walked around to the driver's side. "It is not up for discussion." He said back to me in what I would categorize as his 'police chief Swan' voice.

Ignoring his authority attempt I looked over at him with a glare.

"Well it is now! It's just a stomach bug; it will probably be over before morning. There is no need!" I knew I had more in my stomach that wanted to be realised into the free so until morning was a good estimation. Usually I tended to sit around and hurl after everything had come up anyways, it was probably a reflex to make sure everything had come back up again.

Despite my loud protests Charlie drove to the hospital. I guess me gagging from time to time made him even more determined to go there then when he started. As we arrived the rain were pouring down. Grabbing my umbrella I got out and we went in.

"Is there any specific doctor you want?" the receptionist asked. It may have been luck that there were two on watch, I don't know, but I was damn happy that's for sure. "Dr Cullen." I stated the second she asked. "And bring a bucket please." I added as the woman started directing me into a room. Charlie waited in the reception; he had done more than enough already. The second the nurse left the room I grabbed the bucket and let the rest of the pasta come up. I didn't notice Dr Cullen coming into the room before he opened his mouth. "I see you are not feeling so well." Straightening up I kept on holding the bucket, knowing that I would probably try to vomit even though my stomach was empty. "I know why I'm sick and how to fix this." I stated leaning a bit over the bucket as my stomach tried to get out something that wasn't there anymore. Looking up I saw Dr Cullen sitting down on a chair and turning towards me. "I'm guessing it's because of what you are?" He asked. Swallowing hard I sat the bucket next to me on the examining bench. Instead of answering I asked him a question. "Can you eat normal food?"

"No we cannot." Dr Culling answered. "I'm guessing the same thing happens to you as it does to us then." He nodded at his last statement and we fell silent. "So I was wondering if you could do me a favour Dr Cullen." I stated feeling very much out of place, I didn't normally ask for favours and this was the second one I had asked for today, just peachy. He made a 'go on' gesture with his hand. "If you could just tell Charlie it is a stomach bug or something, that it's nothing to worry about and that he should just let me sleep it off."

Dr Cullen fell silent. "I guess that could be arranged." He finally said giving me a smile. "Miss Swan, I than prescript you with a good night's sleep and a shower, and maybe a wash of clothes – the smell tend to stick." He said, standing up and scribbling something down on a clipboard. "What-" I started before stopping myself and sniffing my jacket, I smelled like wet dog. Crinkling my nose I lifted it into the air. "I will take that shower." I mumbled and stood. "Edward said I was going away for dinner?" I asked as I shrugged back into my jacket. "Yes, he said something about that and that you had promised to be fine and meet him on Monday. And I believe he is still waiting for that call." Dr Cullen gave me a kind smile. "I'm getting around to that." I smiled back and headed out of the examining room with Dr Cullen on my heels. After a small talk with Charlie we got in the cruiser and headed home. "I'm sorry I ruined dinner." I muttered; clutching the bag they had given me at the hospital in case I threw up on the way home. "You didn't Bella, it's not your fault you became sick. And dinner was nice, you didn't become sick before the trip home, so let's just not mention anything to the Blacks, Jacob doesn't have to know his pasta is now abounded by the side of the road." Glancing over at Charlie I saw he had a small grin on his face and before I knew it I burst into laughter, a few seconds later Charlie joining me.

The rest of the ride home was spent in comfortable silence.

.

Pressing the send button I put the phone to my ear. I had taken a bath and put my clothes in the washing machine and now I finally could sit down in my bed finished for the evening and call Edward. I bet Dr Cullen had told him, of course he had.

As I heard him pick up I opened my mouth and was about to say something but he cut me off. "The hospital," There was a short pause. "Really Bella? Really? You just had too?" I had to stop myself from laughing, he was just so…

"I'm fine Edward, I already knew this would happen, this wasn't exactly a surprise. I had planned it a bit differently and my plan did not involve hospitals, but overall, it went great, and I'm fine." Silence on the other end.

"It would be nice though, with a little heads up."

"I can take care of myself you know." I said adamantly into the phone. "I know you can." He answered back, not bothering to elaborate any further apparently. "So you can't eat normal food huh?" He asked. "No." I muttered. "Me neither." He stated in the most matter of fact tone, like we were talking about being able to ride a bicycle or how far we could run. I grinned, even though he probably couldn't hear that over the phone. "Yeah, I heard." I mumbled back. Scooting back on my bed I leaned my back against the headboard and relaxed.

"But you eat fish." He stated. "Yes, I eat fish Edward; I thought you had caught on to that by now." I teased, fiddling with the end of my hair. He huffed on the other end, "I did catch that but I wasn't sure that were the only thing you ate."

'Mhm' I muttered into the phone, closing my eyes and tilting my head back, resting it on the wall. Talking to Edward made me feel fuzzy, but a numb kind of fuzzy. Like my feelings had been pushed down by something, as though they were all blanketed and none of them really came properly forth. "You sound tired."

"I am; it has been a long month." I said without really bothering to examine what came out of my mouth.

"I'll let you sleep, see you on Monday Bella."

"Yeah, see you on Monday Edward."

.

Shuffling down the stairs still in my pyjamas I went into the kitchen and grabbed my flask from the fridge filled with water and salt. Shaking it I opened the lid and took a sip. Trying to rub sleep out of my eyes with the back of my hand I shuffled into the living room and dumped down on the couch. I felt Charlie giving me a side-glance but ignored him. "Why are you up so early?" I asked, exasperated. I had been trying unsuccessfully to sleep for the last hour but the sounds from the first floor kept me awake, it was 8 o'clock for God's sake. "It's Saturday, and you have the day off, you are allowed to sleep in you know, there is no law which says otherwise." I pushed myself a bit more into a sitting position and gave him a side look. He grinned sheepishly at me. "It's the routine, I'm so used to it I don't really need to sleep longer."

Giving him a look which clearly said I did not find that impressive I looked to the TV, the forecaster was going on about snow, and rain. "Are you feeling better?" Charlie asked. "Yeah, much better, it was probably just a one night thing." Giving him a small smile I stood and headed for my room to get some clothes and get ready for the day.

After a bathroom trip and some half arsed attempt at fixing my hair I went back to my room and grabbed my cell, going on contacts I found Angela and pressed send, putting it to my ear.

But the second after the first buzz I hurriedly pressed end and put the cell phone down upon my desk. I couldn't call Angela, just no.

Couldn't call Jessica either, she would ask too many questions.

Who_ could_ cover for me tonight?

A name popped into my head and it seemed rational enough to actually work. Sighing I went on my computer and tried to find the phone number I was looking for, luckily for me it wasn't too hard to locate and a few minutes later I was calling. After a few rings it was answered "This is Esme Cullen." The voice said on the other end, I figured it was better to call their home number, calling Edward and asking for Alice wouldn't exactly be nice. "Hi Mrs Cullen, this is Bella Swan, I was just wondering if Alice were there?"

"Oh Bella, well, yes, two seconds." Some shuffling after and Mrs Cullen were back. "Here she is."

"Thank you Mrs Cullen." I hurriedly said so she would hear it before handing over the phone.

"Hello Bella." Alice's musical voice rang over the phone. "Hi Alice, I was just wondering-" she cut me off before I could finish with a tinkling laugh. "I'll cover for you, it's no trouble." This threw me off for a few seconds before I remembered, oh, seeing the future, of course. Grinning I laughed a bit myself. "Thanks Alice," Making a split second decision I stopped myself from saying goodbye. "Hey Alice, would you like to hang out some time?"

There were a pause on the other end of the line and for a few seconds I thought I had stepped out of line. "I would love that!" An enthusiastic Alice said and I couldn't help but smile.

"Great, I guess I'll see you on Monday then. Say hi to Edward from me."

"Sure will, bye Bella!"

"Bye Alice." I muttered back.

Hanging up I put my phone down and looked around my room, I hadn't even told ehre how to cover for me but I was willing to bet to fingers on the fact that Alice would catch up, she probably already knew what I was going to use as an excuse.

Standing I grabbed a bag and started packing.

.

"Bye dad! See you tomorrow!" I called as I opened the door and stepped out, bag slung over my shoulder and ready to go. I had snuck out one of Charlie's small tents and other necessities earlier when he had been distracted by a game and the only thing I was carrying now where a duffel bag and my backpack. I was going over under the pretends that I had a project with Alice Cullen we needed to finish and since it was getting colder and there could be ice on the roads at night Mrs Cullen had asked if I wanted to stay over just to be safe.

Getting in the truck I stuffed the bag and backpack in the passenger seat, started the truck and backed out of the driveway. I had just about scorched through google maps over Forks to find a place to store my truck, where it would not be seen, and somewhere close to a pond with a place to camp. The statistics wasn't exactly with me but with what must have been a truckload of luck I found somewhere which was suitable.

After driving towards La Push in a few minutes I started slowing down.

Cursing I pushed in the breaks as hard as I could. "You're an idiot. Pay attention, ugh this is stupid, so stupid, and silly and just-" I kept grumbling to myself as I put it in reveres and backed up until I was past the driving I should have taken again – no one drover here anyways, it's not like there would come anyone that I could back up on, at least those statistics were really low.

Putting it in first I slowly drove onto the very run down road.

Bumping along I drove as slowly as I could so that the car would not take any damage.

After what felt like forever through the rather dark forest the road came to an end, opening the door I stuck my head out and looked at the road in front of me, there were a few bushes, some grass and a few trees. Closing the door I gave gas and drove slowly over the bushes and turned left behind a few very close trees.

Killing the engine I breathed out a sigh. "Halfway there." I muttered. Carefully I opened the door. No raindrops fell from the trees and in general it seemed pretty dry. Figuring I should not look a gift horse in the mouth I got out and started on the last part of the - for the lack of a better word - adventure.

.

Breathing heavily I hoisted the huge camping backpack onto my shoulders again.

My legs felt like jelly and I just could not get enough oxygen into my lungs. On top of this I was tired and I felt like a car were the battery was seconds away from running out, spluttering and coughing. I had been walking for forty minutes, 20 minutes more than google maps had said, of course, it's not like I can go by skyline. Stupid internet.

Forcing myself forward I went up the small hill slowly and painfully. "Why did I quit jogging after moving here?" I asked myself breathlessly, this is ridicules, and I couldn't help but imagine a horror movie starring me where a mass murderer asked me to go to the hospital while electrocuting me every mile of the way. "Oh, I know why," I gasped out, stopping and straightening up. "Because the only thing this town knows how to do more than anything is rain!" Leaning backwards I looked up at the tree tops. I could just about spot the sky between the branches. Sighing I leaned forward and started walking again, I struggled up the last bit of the hill, sweating as though I was in the Sahara desert and not in Forks Washington.

Looking up I stopped before letting the pack fall to the ground with a thump. "Yes!" I exclaimed, grinning like an idiot looking at the scenery around me. It was a very small patch without forest with grass, at the end of the small patch of grass it was a well sized lake with a river I could spot on the other side, disappearing in between a small passage of trees.

Walking forwards I went to the edge of the little grass patch and looked into the water. It was a typical lake, some rocks and mud on the bottom before not fare out it became steep fast and the bottom was not visible, the only thing possible to see being blackness. Smiling I turned and walked back to the backpack figuring I should probably get a move on with everything I needed to get done before the sun disappeared on me.

.

Putting my hands on my hips I looked around me at the handy work. I had to say so myself, I was impressed with my achievement. I had finally, after a longer time then I cared to count, managed to put up the tent. In my defence there were parts missing from this thing. Looking up at the sky I saw the sun was moving closer to the horizon, it would soon be twilight. Turning away I leaned down, grabbed my still heavy backpack and hoisted it into the tent, turning I took of my shoes and climbed in myself, food was in order just about now, it felt like I could eat a whole horse.

Sitting down facing the opening I looked out on the still water of the lake. Some fog was dancing around on the surface, making strange little shapes and swirly patterns. Opening the box I grabbed the fork and started eating. While I sat there in the silence, the forest closing in on me on every sides but one I felt more alone then I had in a long time. Not afraid. Not at all, it was just, the silence, the stillness, it just seemed so untouched, so forgotten by the human society, this place grew and changed with every passing day and no one was the wiser, very much like me. Lowering the bowl slowly I swallowed the bite I had been chewing and just looked around myself. The lake was so still on the surfaces but full of life underneath. The forest I could see on the other side which were the same as the one I had been tracking through. Big heavy trees covered in moss and other green plants which preferred to be in a relationship with a tree rather than manage on their own.

Yes, very much like me indeed, the same but still changing without people noticing, but that's just have it is, and has to be for my and everyone else's safety.

Lifting the box a bit again I presumed my eating while the forest oh so slowly changed, grew and stayed unnoticed by everyone but a very lonely mermaid which would never admit she actually needed anyone but herself, believe me I know her, she is as stubborn as a mule.

.

I could feel the moon slowly creep over the treetops, I didn't dare look at it, I kept my eyes firmly closed as I sat in my little one man tent in the middle of nowhere all by myself with the closest civilization being miles away – thank God, if I went crazy at least people would be a good distant away. My fingers twitched as I felt the moonlight hit them. It was warm and felt like liquid, like a caress. But the warmth changed and suddenly a warm bolt of what felt like electricity shot up my arm. Suppressing the urge to crawl back in the corner of the tent and hide under a blanket I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart as I felt the moonlight slowly – slowly creep up my arm. Parallel with the fear though where the need to bath in it, to gorge myself on the moonlight, to collect it and smear it all over my skin, drink it, smell it. It was like it had the properties to be liquid, air, source of warmth and energizer. Taking a few more deep breaths I pushed every horrible scenario imaginable to the back of my mind, fisted my hands into the blanket I had over my legs and opened my eyes.

Nothing else mattered in that one millisecond, nothing else but that wonderful warmth.

.

EPOV

Sitting down by the piano I positioned my hands over the keys and started slowly just playing tones and chords that fit together but still didn't really have a pattern.

But as I sat there I could not focus on the music, my mind kept wandering.

Tapping into Alice's mind I checked if she had gotten anything on Bella, which was affirmed as negative before I could listen in longer than 10 seconds. Suppressing a sigh I again went over the conversation I had with here over the phone. She had sounded anxious. Maybe she wasn't aware of it but she was talking faster, higher pitched, stressing. Again I wondered what she was doing. Because she was not home, Alice was after all covering for her with Charlie, and he had called earlier this evening to ask if everything was going alright, Esme had confirmed and talked to him for a bit to make it seem natural. Feeling I should thank her, and the rest of them I, with a few press of the keys, changed the mindless pressing into a classical piece I knew they all enjoyed.

What Bella was still puzzled me, or, not just me, all of us. We had moved from telekinetic to elemental to multitalented, but still, it just didn't seem likely. At this moment to me it seemed that elemental or multitalented was the most natural explanation. Out of all the things I knew it just wasn't any other explanation, not yet anyway.

I was restless, I just wanted to call her, or go over or just try to find her, just to know that she was ok. But I had promised.

It may be strange to feel so much for a person after such a short time, but Bella was just...

home, for the lack of a worse cliché. All the romantic dramas were mostly bad but that was one thing they got right. Finding a person which is just... amazing all over becomes the definition of home.

Changing the tune I changed to one of the earlier pieces by Mozart.

I could feel Esme looking at me from the couch. Carlisle was in the study filling out some patient papers and she was doing maintenance work on some of the older books we had in the house.

Trying to block out all the thoughts in the house I looked absentmindedly at my fingers as they moved over the keys.

And as always my mind whispered, _hope she's safe_.

Thinking I had lost her once was more than enough, maybe that's why now I was so anxious, still, I knew she could take care of herself – or, I was taking her word for it and hoping that she was saying the truth.

Without being able to stop the sigh this time I summed up the time left until Monday morning. It wasn't that long.

She would be ok.

And without paying it any mind I mumbled into the silence of the house "She'll be ok."

.

BPOV:

Bbbbuuuuzzzzz...

It felt like I was under water as I heard myself giggle.

Bbbbuuuuzzzzz...

"Fluffy and white in all kinds of shapes and designs, with water and birds and all the other flying stuff, cloudy cloud cloud cloud..."

What is that_ buzzing_?

Bbbbuuuuuuuzzzzzz...

"Bbbbbbuuuuzzzziiiinnnggg like a beeeeeee! I don't like bee's, they just bbbbuuuuzzzzzz..."

Where... how can... is that a cell phone? Have I eaten a cell phone on vibrate?

Bbbbbbbbbuuuuuuuzzzzzz...

Look at the twinkling, all the pretty stars. And clouds. Oh.. Moving clouds.

Are you exercising? I need to start jogging... Or, you know... walking.

To the left to the left, every cloud goes in the box to the left...

What happened to the...

Cloud! You hid the moon! Naughty naughty this isn't right – bad cloudy cl-

.

"Mother of God." I muttered in a small whisper as I slowly awoke. The sun was glaring down at me through a thin lair of clouds and my head felt like someone had taken my brain and used it as a basket ball or ping pong ball or you know, a football. Groaning I turned my head and hid my eyes under my arm. "Someone out there really hates me." I muttered into the silence. I was on the ground on a blanket that was fairly obvious considering the rock digging into my hipbone. Taking a deep breath I slowly sat up and squinted into the annoyingly bright world.

"How come the one day I wanted a proper thick lair of clouds, this is what I get?" Shaking my head slowly from side to side I looked around myself. I was just a few steps outside the tent so I hadn't gone far yesterday. Trying to recall what in the world had happened I tried to think back but the only thing I got were wage impressions spiced by the occasional feeling and they were all jumbled up in one big mess. Rubbing my eyes I slowly stood up and stumbled over to the tent, almost falling into it and down upon the second blanket and camping madras I had brought.

Grabbing my phone I started it up before pressing a few buttons, 7.30. Groaning I leaned forward grabbed the blanket from the ground before I promptly fell back into the tent, pulled the blanket on top of me and fell back to sleep, just no way I am packing down a tent at half-past seven in the morning on a Sunday, that can wait.

For the sake of all that is holy, stressing home was not an option, Alice could cover for me a bit longer and being stoned on moonlight must be a valid reason to be allowed to embrace sloth for a few more hours.

.

Locking myself into the house I kicked off my shoes and walked up into my room, opening my wardrobe I dumped the tent and everything else into it, promising myself to clean it up later. Closing the door I shrugged out of my jacket, threw it onto the bed before heading downstairs. Opening my mouth I called, "Dad?" There came no answer to my shout but the sound of my own voice startled me into silence and made me stop in the middle of the staircase. When I awoke this morning, my voice had been gruff and as normal as what was expected after sleeping outside, on the ground with a rock digging into my hip. But now, it should be back to normal, it really should.

"Hello?" I whispered, it was like a clear ringing, it was one flowing tone, like shimmering bells. It felt like massive bolt of electricity were shot through my body, like being struck by lightning, I stumbled and slipped on a step. Losing my footing I tried to grab onto something, anything but even with my efforts I started to fall. But as I did everything seemed to slow down. I could see everything, _everything_. The dust flying past, being swirled up by my movements and the change in the air, the detail in the floorboards on the staircase, a car passing by outside with a commercial for a new toothpaste playing on the stereo, a cat meowing in the neighbours house and all this just going so _slow_. With a few well placed footsteps which were lighter and more graceful then I had ever been I jumped and landed in a graceful crouch on the first floor almost soundlessly, landing on the balls of my sock clad feet. The cat finished its meow next door and the car kept driving past. The dust swirled here and there but as I didn't move it slowly went back to floating peacefully through the room. Listening as hard as I could I tried to take in everything I could, absorb every sound, every miniscule creek of wood I could detect. Closing my eyes so I wouldn't be distracted by everything there were to see I took a deep breath. Oh god, the _smells_.

Sticking my nose up in the air I took another deep breath. I could smell the house, the last thing eaten in the house, the growth outside, cars, the neighbour giving the cat food.

And shit, holy shit, _everything_.

My eyes shot open and I was about to jump to my feet but as I started the movement I realized that no socks against hard-wood floor does not make for good friction so with a very high but still unusual shrike I lost my footing and fell down upon my ars with a big 'ohf'.

"Of course." I mumbled, my voice still the most sing-song tone I had ever heard on anyone except the Cullen's. It was supposed to be bitter, but it just didn't sound that way at all. Pushing myself up I figured Charlie were out so I hurriedly headed upstairs to the bathroom without bothering to call any more times, what I didn't notice was the speed I was heading towards the bathroom in.

Opening the door with more force than was strictly necessary I didn't even register the sound of the plaster on the wall cracking I hurried in and looked at my own face in the mirror. It was surreal to say the least. I was different, very different. My skin seemed smoother, paler somehow. My eyes seemed big and doe-like, big, brown and unforgettable so to speak. It was the kind of face you saw in a magazine, manipulated and airbrushed until reality was just a faint glimmer in the distance. I lifted my hand and touched my skin, it was smooth, smooth as silk, my hand had the same perfect skin. My now pink and just brightly coloured lips were parted in shock. Even my hair was lovely; chestnut brown and shiny falling around my face like a waterfall. And don't get me wrong, I had always liked my hair; it was one of my more endearing features as far as I was concerned, but now, it looked better. The only word I could use to describe myself as I looked upon myself in the mirror were graceful, or unblemished – one of those worked just fine.

I had always been normal looking, and I had, as every other girl both things I liked and disliked with my own appearance, I had gotten some attention from 1 or 2 boys as the years had passed, but now, it just wasn't anything left to complain about.

"Holy shit." I muttered in disbelief as I straightened out of the lean towards the mirror I had ended up in. Putting my hands on my hips I looked at myself and after a bit I couldn't help but smile, I flashed the most shit eating grin, teeth and all. And even my teeth where white and wonderful. I looked very picture perfect.

"Well Bella," I said to myself in my voice which still sounded a bit alien to me. "Maybe this thing isn't so bad after all."

Turning away from the mirror in less than a second I froze. Everything was moving so slowly. I stared at the dust, the sounds which seemed to move normally now but had moved so slowly just a small while ago. My mind flashed back to when the werewolf's had attacked me, when I had ran from the cafeteria and with those events in mind I shot out of the bathroom faster then I knew possible. I registered everything, every little sound or start of sound, nothing blurred, everything around me where as clear as day but it must have been less than a second later when I stood in front of the counter in the kitchen, hands on the counter grinning like an idiot. My body was pumping with adrenalin and everything seemed so much brighter. Every colour in the room more vivid. With new inspiration I shot through the house, running from upstairs to downstairs, jumping, sliding and doing whatever came to mind, I couldn't even find it within me to care as I laughed my heart out that I was acting like a little kid on Christmas eve.

Not soon after that I discovered my strength when I by accident broke the coffee table on the right side of the door when I discovered the ruined wall on the left side of the door after my very careless behaviour the other day.

.

Sitting down on my bed in my pyjamas I looked around my room, I wasn't tired at all, not even one bit. I had felt so full of energy all day. Just brimming with it. Charlie had asked about the project I had been 'working' on with Alice, how the coffee table and the wall had been ruined and if I was on crack, all in all a very event filled day but still, the clock were nearing half past 1 am, this was getting ridicules.

Grabbing the duvet I climbed in under the sheets and closed my eyes, laying there waiting for sleep to come to me, it didn't though and after an unknown amount of time I opened my eyes and looked into my room which were supposed to be dark but really wasn't. Deciding this was ridicules I hung over the edge of the bed pushing the suitcase carefully to the side like it was nothing before grabbing the book and hoisting myself back up, the strength was the most difficult to keep under control I had started to understood as I almost broke more things than the coffee table when I didn't watch myself, I would probably get used to it sooner or later but it was just the getting use to it part which were the problem now.

Arranging my pillows I leaned back flipped open the book and started reading the section about mermaids again. It was mainly history that seemed very irrelevant to my case, that Persephone had been kidnapped to the underworld by Hades and that Poseidon had sent out mermaids/sirens to look for her, they were fuelled by energy from the moon goddess once a month. It said they were dangerous to humans, that they had a lot of enemies and that all in all they were not that popular among other creatures, mostly because other didn't know much, mermaids were supposedly secretive creatures, kept to themselves and didn't really 'make friends' with anyone else, with one exception of course, it was always a catch wasn't it?

Apparently mermaids had one chance at procreation and that where from the start of the change till the end of it, it was a process apparently, which the book didn't describe but said it were faces and the duration could be different from person to person but never longer than 1 year if done right.

Usually, if the mermaid had a person they felt strongly fore for example a person they were married to, boyfriend, close friend maybe (it had never been, according to the book, any male recorded mere people), and this is where it becomes ridicules, they chose this person as a sort of soul mate. And if the book is correct it is here the whole concept of soul mates originated. They weren't really a soul mate; just a person who had the closest ties to the mermaid. The strange thing though were that usually the other person felt the same, so it was a mutual thing not just one way around and usually they stuck together until either or both died and a mermaid never chose another mate after the first chosen one, at least not in any case this book knew about. Usually it was a human man the man would die, they did not become immortal as the mermaid, was not possible to achieve just because they were chosen by an immortal did not mean they became an immortal. It was really all rather tragic, hopeless love stories.

My mind supplied me with the amusement of picturing a scenario where I plucked Edward as a soul mate and how practical that would be because vampires didn't die did they? Not as far as I was aware of anyhow, but still, very unlikely since this seemed very farfetched and Edward wasn't exactly up for procreation since he was frozen in time, how could he father children if he were dead? Dead sperm don't swim as far as I am concerned. But then again, I may be wrong, vampirism must be more than being dead, they aren't zombies, they don't rot so they have to have some kind of system, a big change most occur from vampire to human, so maybe his sperm is highly usable.

Oh for god's sake, it's not like I would just blindly drag him into the janitors closet and whisper 'let's make a baby' in the most sensual voice (not that I wasn't now capable of the highly sensual voice, I think this new voice is capable of anything) and we would have wild monkey sex until it was no chance I wouldn't have a child popping out of me in 9 months or less.

Anyhow, after the soul mate and the mating thing it didn't really say any more. Closing it I stroked the cover with my hand, brushing away some dust which had gathered on it. This book really had some strange information. It was only half past 3 when I decided after finishing reading the chapter on mermaids for the third time that this was ridicules and that I should do something since I apparently wouldn't be sleeping anything anyways I stood up, grabbed the clothes for school and walked into the bathroom, stripped and got in the bathtub after it had filled itself up with warm water. Sinking down into it I waited for a small amount of time savouring the feeling of my legs and human body submerged in water before the familiar feeling came over me and I changed, in less than a milli-second I tuned from human to mermaid. Sighing I closed my eyes and leaned back, ignoring the familiar weight of the tail. But something were different, I felt different, something wasn't right. Opening my eyes I looked down upon myself. My scale pattern had completely changed, it was, different. Maybe that was normal?

Who am I kidding what is normal about this, no scales over my boobs anymore that's for sure but what did I expect – I had probably just been lucky the last time, it's not like those movies where mermaid are just about wearing scales in the form of bikini tops and so on.

My colour were different as well, darker, more a blend of a lot of brown tones, it looked like I would fit very well on the bottom of the sea, no one would be able to spot me, that was for sure.

Lifting my hand I felt my face, starting at my temples I traced past my cheekbone and came to my jaw, that Is when my fingers froze, right under my jaw, four folds. I felt them again before what it was came to me. "No..." I muttered in disbelief. "This can't be..." scrambling a bit I leaned forwards and grabbed the small handheld mirror from my toilet bag making it fall from the counter in the process but I didn't care this was more important. Opening it I looked at my neck, gills. I had gills.

Great, splendid. Closing the compact mirror I leaned back in the tub staring up at the ceiling, as though I couldn't be more of a freak already, the speed and the strength I had already experience in small bouts of energy but this, I wasn't really expecting this.

Making a split second decision I grabbed the edges off the tub and pushed myself under, letting out most of the air. After some time I started to wonder if they were functional, they didn't exactly work, when I really started to have issues keeping myself under though, suddenly it felt as though I took a big gulp of air, but through the wrong entrance, this was not through my nose or my mouth. This was weirder then antything I had ever experience, and that is saying something, I was breathing through my neck, holy shit.

.

"By dad!" I called from the kitchen, "By Bells, have a good day at school!" he called back before it were the slamming of a door, a few seconds later I heard the cruiser start and drive away. When it was a safe distance away I turned to speed mode and started packing for school, flying through the house as though time was the one being slow and I was the one going in the right tempo. It felt great, beyond great actually. If I first had these powers, why not indulge in them, even thought the gills had felt a bit over the top, I mean seriously, didn't I feel enough like a fish on dry land as it was, it had to be added this to the mix, to top it off I had noticed that while in human form I had four faint but there lines where the gills where located when I were in mermaid form. Paler than the rest of me but luckily there weren't enough contrast to be noticeable, Charlie hadn't even noticed. People would have so much to stare at anyways though so why should they notice? I bet Edward would notice though, he always noticed. Looking at them time I saw I for once didn't need to stress to get to school walked at normal speed out the door, locked it up and walked to my truck, getting in I started it and started the drive to school, following the speed limit, Charlie would be so proud.

.

Parking my truck I looked out upon the school, only a few people had arrived, mostly people I didn't know. It was a nice change, to be on time for a difference. What wasn't a nice change though was the hearing. I could hear everything; I could hear the people _breathing_. And seeing, everything caught my attention the slightest moving of a finger. Pressing down the urge to clap my hands over my ears and close my eyes I tried to sooth my brain by the fact that I should get used to this, I had to get used to this, or this would become unbearably difficult faster then I cared to think about. Trying to block it out I turned my gaze away from the people and to the things in my truck instead.

This car really needed a good wash; I could both see and smell that now. Wrinkling up my nose a bit I grabbed my backpack and the umbrella, figuring it was best to just go out so I didn't get hung up in any more small details I hadn't noticed before the full moon. Apparently ignorance is bliss.

But the umbrella I had gotten from Edward made me pause in my tracks. My nostrils flared as I breathed in deeply, the smell. It was divine.

Unidentifiable but so addictive I just wanted too...

Before I knew what happened I had almost pushed the umbrella up my nose. With a startled yelp I held it at arm's length. "Holy cow, what's wrong with you today." I muttered, then when I came to think of it, the question was more along the lines of – what have been wrong with you since the stupid ars full moon, but the answer never came to neither.

With a great sigh I tried to ignore the smell of the umbrella and as originally planned I got out of the truck and locked it up.

Turning towards the parking lot I noticed more people had arrived, hoping no one of the had noticed the incident – because honestly, who wants to be nicknamed umbrella-sniffer? - I started walking towards the school, pausing for a passing car.

The stares though made me slow down. I knew I was different, and I had been expecting this but still, it wasn't very nice, cringing a bit lowered the umbrella a bit more down over my head, trying to hide myself from the stares. That's when I noticed the Cullen's arriving in Edward's car. Trying to ignore everyone I headed that way, Rosalie be damned, _I wanted Edward_, just that thought though should have triggered some warning-bells, but since it's me we are talking about, it really didn't.

"Hi Edward!" I called when I was close enough for it to seem normal. 5 heads whipped around to look at me. I tilted the umbrella backwards so they could see me and not the people behind me. Walking the last few feet I stopped in front of them smiling, but my eyes though were on Edward, God I had never _seen_ him. I thought he was handsome and beautiful and wonderful before, but now... Look at that face...

I was brought out of my trance though as Alice addressed me. "Bella?" she asked disbelieving in a sing-song voice very much like my own now. "Hi Alice, thanks for covering for me I really appreciate it and I owe you one so if you need something, name it."

"You look and sound like one of us." Emmett said slowly, as though I was the one not understand it. "I finally hit puberty, wonderful right?" _At least one kind of puberty_ my inner voice sniggered at me. I grinned at them before my eyes found Edward again. He was looking at me with a puzzled expression, he was just so... "I'm just joking, I had a facial and my voice finally straightened out properly." I muttered absentmindedly in a dazed sing-song voice.

"I have a hard time believing that." Edward muttered to me, still looking puzzled. I heard him at the same time as I didn't his voice was just, hypnotic. I stared at him, wanting him to never stop talking because that voice...

"Bella?" I heard another voice say slowly next to me, my brain identified it as Alice but my senses were concentrated on something else entirely, working on high drive. A small gust of wind blew from behind Edward and straight in my face and I could almost feel my pupils delight, my palms getting sweat and my heart starting to hammer a bit faster in my chest.

My mouth going dry as my eyes zeroed in on his lips.

Holy mother of God those lips...

"Bella, are you ok?" Alice asked again in a smaller voice.

I didn't answer, I couldn't.

I felt my body starting to figure out how I could get Edward on the ground either on top of me or the other way around.

Or on the panzer of the car, the backseat, or go to his house, hell even my house, we could take the truck despite its state of being very dirty.

"Edward, the future is getting all muddy." Alice muttered again. "What is she doing?" I heard another voice say verily. It was Rosalie.

"I don't know." Edward muttered, I could see his eyes searching mine and just as I was about to take a few steps forward and tackle him to the ground...

I jumped back. Clutching the umbrella I hurriedly clamped a hand over my face and nose, pressing so that I could not smell. "Oh no..." I muttered feeling my body going cold. "Bella?" Said and I almost pounced on him right there. I glance up at him and hurriedly away as the mere sight of him made me want to rip both mine and his clothes off in the middle of the parking lot. He opened his mouth to say something else but I couldn't and wouldn't have it. "Don't say anything." I muttered in a strained voice. He paused. "I really have to get going to class, I'm so sorry for my behaviour, I don't feel alright today, if you'll excuse me." Edward didn't take the hint and took a step forward I caught a new waft of his sent and almost pounced. Almost. "Holy shit." I muttered as a spike of lust – lust, can you believe it? Me? This is utterly ridicules. Turning around I hurried away without saying any more and as I walked into the school and the smell of sweaty hormonal teenagers filled my nostrils the feeling went away.

The only thing I could think though as fear, distress and anger spiked in me were – holy shit, you almost molested Edward Cullen in the middle of the school parking-lot.

_Holy shit_.

Everything else that had happened after the full moon up until now seemed insignificant, and was because what was I supposed to do now? I can't sit next to him in biology; I would probably end up on the lab table, begging him to ravish me.

What am I supposed to do now?

Where is the god damn handbook for this shit?

Feeling desperation I hurried into the girl's bathroom and locked a stall, gripping my hair in both my hands.

My existence be damned, maybe going back to Phoenix and hoping I overreacted wouldn't be so bad after all, ending up as sushi or a lab rat has got to be better than this.


	15. Chapter 14: part I

**Chapter 14: A New Level of Crazy**

_No no no no no_ my brain kept chanting as I sat on top of the closed toilet seat.

How could this happen? The book was total rubbish, it had always been total rubbish, this was not happening.

Trying to slow my breathing I noticed that I actually was choking up and with a few well-placed deep breaths I tried to calm myself.

This just couldn't be happening, with ragged breathing and shaky fingers I grabbed some paper and dabbed at my eyes.

No just _no_: I would not molest Edward Cullen on the biology desk, _no_.

But as I thought this the images of him ravishing _me_ on the biology desk popped into my head and before I knew it I was standing and grabbing the lock with the most persistent lady-boner in the history of my teenage years.

Wrenching my hand away from the lock I stumbled back onto the toilet and bit into my hand with a strangled cry.

"What's _wrong_ with me?" I muttered in a small voice into the skin of my now bite-mark decorated knuckle.

Trying to calm my libido and myself I took another few deep breaths but just about jumped out of my skin when the first bell rang.  
I could hear it all.  
The people talking in between themselves, could single out everybody that passed the toilet, what they talked about, there breathing, even their heartbeats.

Cradling my head in my hands while I sat there on top of the closed toilet seat I asked myself the question I had asked so many times since this started.

Why couldn't I just have been normal? Just been a boring normal teenage girl with a boring life, a boring hobby, a boring outlook on life and small expectations as to what my life would entail.

With a great sigh I tried to push that thought away, it was a depressing topic for me so maybe not the best time to start the self-pity parade.

The last bell rang and after about 2 minutes silence settled outside in the halls. Just the thought of going to class made me cold sweat and gave me laboured breathing – both out of nervousness and arousal I might ad.

"I need to get out of here." I mumbled to myself a bit desperately and the oldest idea in the history of ditching popped into my head.

Hurrying out of the bathroom I checked the hallway before jogging to the cafeteria telling myself that to people it would look like I missed lunch and just had to get something before class.

Buying myself an apple I mumbled something about class to the cafeteria lady as she looked at me disapprovingly and hurried out again.

Jogging a bit down the hall I stopped before checking for humans, when I was sure no one was nearby I attacked the apple, taking big chunks of the apple I swallowed down the entire thing as fast as I could. Throwing away the core I just stood there in the middle of the hallway for few seconds before I felt it.

_Yes_.

I had a deep need to fist bump the air but pushed it down in favour of grabbing my backpack and hurrying to biology.

Opening the door I pressed a hand to my mouth and tried to look miserable and sick, keeping my eyes trained on anything but Edward that I knew were sitting in his usual spot – I could smell his wonderful sent and just _feel_ his eyes on me, _oh my god_, I knew where I wanted those eyes to look…

_Stop it –focus!_

The teacher looked at me before hurrying over, most likely thinking the same thing as every teacher with a sick teenager in the room – "get it out get it out! Don't let it hurle on the floor! Not in my classroom!"

"I'm not feeling so well." I muttered in a shaky voice. "May I be excused to the nurses office?" He nodded before I was even finished and I turned on the spot and was off, only catching a glimpse of Edward but it was more then enough to make my legs wobbly.

Hurling in front of the nurse was more than convincing and I was sent home not 20 seconds later.

She asked if I wanted her to call my dad but I brushed her off saying I had been to the hospital for the same thing on Friday and that the doctor had said the only thing I needed was rest.

_Needing rest indeed – rather the complete opposite, _my stupid mind muttered and then proceed to assault me with images of Edward and all the things... _Shut up_.

Walking out of the school I headed for my truck but I couldn't help but falter in my tracks as the delicious, wonderful sent wafted up into my nose again. I stopped and breathed in, turning my head towards where the sent went. I even took three steps in that direction before I managed to pull myself together. "Stop it." I muttered to myself, pinching my nose shut before continuing towards my truck. As I was safely inside I allowed myself to breath and as fast as I could I was racing out of there like a bat out of hell – ignoring every speed limit I spotted on my way home.

If my dad knew about this he would be so proud because Edward have an absolutely sublime butt, I have never had so much self-control in my entire life, Charlie would be so proud.

.

Damn them all. I thought as I paced back and forth in front of the couch. "Damn them all to the deepest pits of hell, especially one Ed-"

My mind cut me off before I could even finish that thought.

_No no no no we don't curse our Ed-_

Shut up shut up shut up "Shut up!" I screamed the last part, clutching my head.

But to no surprise, I seemed to be in a viscous circle. Spiraling out of control as image upon image, scenario upon scenario kept playing out in my head without my permission.

At this rate I would be convicted for sexual molestation before dawn tomorrow morning.

With fanatic fingers that had grown more and more so over the last 2 hours I looked again at the paragraph I had highlighted and read over and over again after I got home.

_The mermaids are also a source of another misconception we have about finding a fitting mate to reproduce with, here is were the concept of someone being a soul mate originate from. You see, the mermaids have a survival mechanism where, in the middle of the change, their animal side picks out a male the mermaid knows well, then choose that male – if fitting, or else the animal side would pick someone else – as a sexual partner (reproduction partner if you will). _

_An intense attraction will occur and it is almost physically impossible to resist for the mermaid, the male will mirror this attraction or else this survival mechanism would not have been that effective. It is a fact that the child born by a mermaid in this phase is also a mermaid, therefore adding to their numbers._

_There will be created a strong bond between the mermaid and the chosen male – there has never been any recording of mermen so it seems to be a gene that only manifests in females – and the couple usually sticks together until the end of either the male, the mermaid or both of them. Usually it is by age they are separated since mermaids are immortal beings and human males are not. Since there is no way for a mermaid to make a human male immortal it is nothing to be done about this, therefore this can be considered a tragic love story, this theory is strengthened by the fact that the mermaid never picks another male to establish a new emotional bond with._

Until I figured out how to deal with this I would just have to be sick, I had even stationed a small basket of apples on the table with a glass of coke. It was the usual things you ate and drank when you were sick – Charlie wouldn't even consider that the things I ate was what was making me hurl.

I was even patting around in sweat pants and a huge hoodie for pretense, hell I had even used rouge over my nose and on my cheeks to make me look more flustered then what was normal.

But this situation at all, this stupid Goddamn… Can this get any worse? I thought to myself in a moment of unnatural calm before the saucepan with my emotions that had been puttering for some time now just boiled over.

With a shrike of anger I grabbed the book and ripped, "Of course it can get worse! It _always_ gets worse!" grabbing a chunk of the book again I ripped it over one more time before throwing the bits into the air, some hitting the ceiling and making small cracks. "You're Bella Swan! Of course life is going to suck for you!" With a final kick at the air I fell down upon the couch and tried to hold in the anger-tears threatening to spill out of my eyes.

And you want to know the worst part?

I really wanted to drag him into the janitors closet and let him shag my brains out.

How much lower can I sink? Have I not yet hit rock bottom?

Where in the hell did this Bella come from? The only thing positive about this situation was that my mother would have had a blast if I could tell her all this. She would probably had written it down upon here facebook account, something along the lines of, "Think your daughters pining after the neighbor boy is bad? Well then you haven't met my charming sex-driven, fornication motivated teenage daughter Bella!".

With a groan I buried my head in the sofa, wrapping my arms around my head, trying to block out everything, including my thoughts.

But even before I could start on the bed scenes my cell phone on the coffee table interrupted me as it tried to get my attention.

Reaching forward I grabbed it, figuring it was Charlie asking me how I was, lifting my head I clicked on it just to check and almost bolted upright right were I was.

It was from Edward.

_And back into the janitors closet we go._

With a shiver I tried to press down the urge to sprint for the door and find him, damn him, damn this.

And you know what's even worse?! This isn't affecting him one bit, I had gone over and over and over the scene in the parking lot, and the only thing he had felt where confusion for my behavior.

Why hadn't he pounced on me?

Holy mother of God I can't believe I'm even asking myself that…

By the Gods, how was this going to end?

Looking at his text again I couldn't help but sigh.

He was asking why I wasn't in school – if everything was all right and if I wanted him to come over.

"No, everything is not 'all right' because I am in a situation where I would cut off my left foot to dry-hump you – how is that defined as 'all right'?" I typed out before hurriedly deleting it.

Biting my lip I sat up cross-legged on the couch and with great care I started writing.

"I'm fine, just, the stomach bug from Friday isn't done with me yet it seems. You don't have to come over, see you in a couple of days.

-Bella"

Looking over my text I just knew it would make him loose his mind, he knew the only reason I had been sick on Sunday was because I had eaten, I almost felt sorry for him as I pressed send but quickly got over that when I had to suppress another image from my over active imagination.

Another thing to take into consideration here where the fact that Jasper had probably been able to feel me becoming aroused just by staring at Edward.

God, how much more embarrassing could this situation become?

Groaning I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. "This is just impossible..."

I mumbled, but my self pity where interrupted by the house phone ringing.

In a quarter of a second I was picking up, but luckily I remembered myself.

"Hello?" I mumbled trying to sound as sick as I could.

"Bells? Are you ok? School called me saying you went home because of sickness."

"Yeah dad, guess that stomach bug is still hanging 'round."

"Are you ok? Do you want me to come home?" I had to stop myself from coming with a way to direct no.

"No dad, I'm fine, that's not necessary at all. I'm just lying around on the couch with a bucket any-ways. You stay at work and I'll see you this evening."

When he didn't answer right away I was almost sure he was going to do the opposite.

With a sigh though he said the words I had been hoping for. "Ok Bells, but call if anything happens or if you get worse. And just..." He paused again.

"What?" I asked, wondering what in the world was making him hesitate.

"You're mother says to answer her e-mail's and call her before 3 o'clock or she will come down here and drag you back to Arizona herself. I don't know how serious she is about it though."

I laughed.

"Oh she is serious enough, I should probably get cracking with that then. Bye dad."

"Get better Bells, I'll bring home some dinner."

"Ok, see you then."

With that I hung up.

"Great, dinner." I mumbled to myself.

On most days Charlie and I ate dinner at different times so I had been able to get away with eating mostly raw fish without him noticing. I even sometimes made fake dinner in small portions so that it would seem like leftovers after my dinner.

Some work but at least it kept him off my back.

Now back to the situation at hand, how long is this sickens going to last?

My brain answered for me before I had a chance too.

_Until you stop trying to dry-hump Edward's leg sweetling. _

"Oh shut up." I mumbled to myself, heading for the living room to call my mother from my cell-phone.

.

The day I initially became sick flew by and within no time at all the second day were rolling around to an end, the amount of my pining had subsided a bit – even though thoughts of Edward tended to provoke reactions from various body parts, the worst was the smell though. Getting a small wiff of him from my jacket or the goddamn umbrella I had just about scrubbed after clinging to it like a maniac in a fit of lust.

It's ridicules, I had never even had sex with anyone and here I was with fantasies so vivid and disturbing that they even freaked me out from time to time... if they, you know, didn't do the complete opposite…

At the start of the third day I had to trap down my sickness because Charlie was getting worried and another trip to the hospital just wasn't an option. So as I called goodbye to Charlie I knew that I had to be cured by the time he got home. That meant school tomorrow. Well damn.

More Edward and his smell, and hair and eyes and skin and just…

Feeling a twisting low in my stomach I hurriedly pressed those thoughts away.

Dead puppies, dead puppies, dead puppies… Edward… oh shit, mauled puppies, cannibalism, saw 4, manslaughter…

With a great sigh I leaned back as the urge to run out the door and hunt down Edward for some rabbit humping-doing the dirty-intercourse-koitus, subsided and left me, leaving behind a shallow ache.

This was just an impossible situation…

Trying to shut down my brain I grabbed my computer and headed straight for my mail-box hoping that doing something as mundane as checking for new mail would get my libido to calm down.

And it did work, but because of all the wrong reasons. I felt a shiver run down my spine as I looked at the one new mail I had.

The only people I had really been sending mail to were my mom and a few of my old friends from back in Phoenix, though my friends and I were never the closest, we were still friends and keeping in touch was a part of being friends. But that was just the thing, I had only sent mails to them and I wasn't really the kind of person who throws my e-mail address around to just about anyone. So I could not possible fathom how I had gotten an e-mail from an unknown sender, and I knew for a fact that my e-mail was not on my Facebook page.

So my libido had calmed down considerably but my brain had gone into overdrive.

Trying to calm myself down I told myself that I was overreacting and that it was probably just some kind of commercial thing they sent out to every e-mail address on the server or something, but my brain wouldn't listen because my instincts were screaming at me that this was beyond funky.

Trying to convince myself that I was overreacting I clicked on the mail and started reading and as I read the rather short message I felt myself stiffen more and more, slowly my hands started to shake a bit and I felt my body (on it's own accord) go into defence mode. It felt like it took minutes but it was not more then a few seconds at the most. I could feel my teeth change, my face change, hell I could even feel my hands and nails change, but I couldn't find it within me to care about that at the moment as my eyes darted around the room, seeing every little detail but now taking them in for examination.

And as my brain caught up with me I felt silly, I knew I was alone, I could hear there were no other people, human or otherwise in the house, hell, I could smell that there were not, but still my mind would not be at ease. As silently as I could I lifted my laptop over onto the couch, stood and shoot into the kitchen. Grabbing one of the rather sharp meat knifes I spun and looked in every corner in the kitchen, nothing.

I didn't really need the knife, I knew that, but I guess that was the human-defence-part of me rearing its head. I knew that my nails and teeth were everything I needed if a fight should occur but hell (god knows how I know this though, at the moment it just felt like something I knew to be true – instinct), has there ever hurt to be more prepared then necessary?

And with that I got moving.

20 minutes later I felt satisfied with my work, I had swept the house from bottom to top and I was completely alone, not one surveillance camera anywhere.

Walking back into the kitchen I felt myself slowly change back, everything setting itself back into place and with a little sigh I put the knife back in the holder.

Figuring I should have another look at what started all this I turned on the spot and with determent steps walked back into the living room and promptly dumped down on the couch next to the laptop.

Taking a deep breath I turned to it and read it again.

_Dear Miss Swan_

_We have been noticing you have some problems with coming into your new form, and not to mention accepting your abilities. _

_Don't be embarrassed, a lot of people have these issues, but we are here to help. We ask that you meet us at the address below tonight at 6 pm, so that we can talk and help you with accepting what will be your new life as a mermaid. _

_The Council_

_Holy mother of God_. It made me scared, nervous and beyond worried.

Maybe I was busted. Maybe I was being towed in for examination. Maybe I was overreacting.

But maybe I was not. Damn shit in a bucket.

The address was a house not far away, just down the street and a bit into the woods if I remembered correctly – Jessica ha explained it to me.

The old lady that lived there died a few weeks ago so it had been for sale since then.

Maybe I would just go and see, just in case it was someone, someone who had the same condition as myself.

Maybe I could finally get some answers. I had bumped into one (and the only I hade ever met) mermaid in the middle of the ocean, but that meeting had only lasted a few minutes, I didn't have the opportunity to ask about anything. Nothing at all.

I knew with myself that I had to go, I could not not go, it would kill me if I missed a chance like this, just ditched it because I was too scared to take one chance in my miserable life.

No, _no_. That was not an option.

Feeling happy and a bit nervous with my decision I closed the computer, turned to the TV and waited for the time to pass so that I could get this over with. Hopefully I would have more answers then questions when it was done.

And hopefully, I would not be killed.

.

When the clock neared half past five I had cleaned the living room and put the house back to normal. I had gotten dressed, taken a shower and looked all over very healthy.

And finally Charlie walked in the door. "Hi dad!" I called out from the kitchen where I was fixing leftovers from a dinner I had supposedly eaten. "I made dinner today, I know you were supposed to bring but I felt much better so I wanted to do something since I don't have the homework assignments for this week." I heard him shuffle of his shoes, take of his jacket before coming into the kitchen; he had brought pizza for dinner. Walking over I took it from him and put it on the counter. "Why don't you eat that tomorrow? I have to stay late at school to do some work, group project."

Charlie was staring at me, probably checking if I was healthy. "You feeling better?"

"Yeah," I said in a bright voice as I put food on a plate for him. "Feeling much better, 1pm today I started to feel better and I have just felt better and better since then so now I feel fine." Turning to him I handed him the plate and a fork and knife. "Thanks." He mumbled.

"There is a bear on the table and a game on in the living room. I have to just pop by Angela's for about 45 minutes to get tasks and notes from her to catch up on the work I missed before tomorrow."

I said, giving him a smile before turning to the pizza, opening the lid and taking out a container from the cupboard.

"Are you sure you are up for that? You just got better…" He trailed of, he was probably contemplating weather or not I should be allowed to go. I had seen that coming.

"Dad, I am feeling much better, and I think just a small fast trip out will do me some good, I have been coped up in this house for what feels like way to long."

He nodded a few times before heading towards the living room. "Be back before nine!" He called back to me.

"Of course dad!" I called back, putting the pizza away before heading towards the hallway, shrugging on my jacket I grabbed everything I needed – including the umbrella from Edward (which made me weak in the knees still), and headed out.

"By dad!" I called before closing the door.

With butterflies swirling around in my stomach I hurried over to my truck and got in.

Starting it up I backed out and swung towards Angela's place. I knew my dad had gone into the kitchen and was looking at me go.

The house was the other way but I would just have to take a detour.

Driving past Angela's I turned on the first available spot and drove down towards La Push – the second I came over the boarder I turned left and drove back to Forks on a back way that came out just past our house – not far from the house I was supposed to go to.

Turning right when I came to the roads end I drove on until it was just forest all around me.

Without my vision I would most likely have missed it but as it was I swung onto the small road and kept on driving, supposedly it would end by a little cottage.

Jessica had been very dramatic when she told me about this and had told me the lady had lied dead in her house for weeks before anybody had noticed because it was so far from all the other houses. But according to Charlie that was not the case. She had been found three or four days after her death and had been known for having a very beautiful house, she was an architect in her time, unusual for an old lady but she had been controversial as a young woman apparently.

Slowing down I came to a stop before I reached the house. Turning of the truck I just sat there looking for a few seconds. There where a car parked outside, modern, looked like a Mercedes.

The lights in the house were on, and it was true, the woman had had a beautiful house. It was one floor, a nice little roof over the door, a well-kept garden that was now in the colours of autumn.

Taking a deep breath I opened the door and stepped out, taking the umbrella with me I locked it up and started slowly walking towards the house while I still hade the guts to do so.

I was scared beyond belief but this did not stop me from noticing how this house seemed to radiate calmness. I stepped onto the small winding stone path that lead up to the stairs. Stepping onto the first step I looked up at the beautifully carved dark wooden door I had not been able to see properly from my truck. Walking up the last set of stairs I lifted my hand and knocked.

My breathing almost stopped when I heard voices and footstep from the inside of the house. Staring at the handle I watched it slowly go down.

_Why had I come here?  
This must have been the stupidest thing I have ever done. _

These where the last two things I thought before the handle got pushed down completely and the door started to swing open, me prepared for the worst.


End file.
